NAIA II, Pasay City
1 March 2014

President Benigno S. Aquino III and members of his delegation arrived from Kuala Lumpur at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal II after a two-day state visit in Malaysia.

In an arrival statement he made at three in the morning, President Aquino was excited and happy to deliver the good news he brought home from a visit he described as rather short but a fruitful one. From his meetings with the Filipino community and Malaysian businessmen, he was also able to convey his gratitude to Malaysia’s supreme head of state The Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Prime Minister Najib Razak for their help after Typhoon Yolanda, the peace talks in Mindanao, and the warm welcome they have given to his delegation and to thousands of Filipinos who work and live in Malaysia.

“Malinaw na ang positibong ugnayan sa pagitan ng ating mga bansa. Nagbunga ito ng kasunduang paigtingin ang kalakal sa pagitan ng Malaysia at Pilipinas; totoo nga po na para sa dalawang bansang talagang magkatabi, napakaliit ng tinatayang 3.5 billion hanggang 4.5 billion dollars na palitan ng kalakal,” the President said.

Aside from the support given by the Malaysian government in the field of Islamic banking and financing and security cooperation, President Aquino and Prime Minister Najib also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on education and a memorandum of agreement on culture, arts and heritage cooperation between Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman.

According to President Aquino, Malaysia is well aware that any presence of conflict or tension in the region can affect the stability of countries surrounding it. Both leaders affirmed the need for a peaceful and rightful resolution on the matter of territorial disputes.

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