PUTRAJAYA – Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir began his working visit to Paris, France today by meeting with his counterpart Catherine Colonna to discuss bilateral cooperation as well as regional and international matters.
He will also meet with Unesco Director-General Audrey Azoulay, the French Institute of International Relations, and the French Senate while in Paris.
Zambry is on his maiden working visit to Paris until tomorrow after his appointment as foreign minister in December 2022.
“I will also meet Chems-Eddine Hafiz, rector of the Great Mosque of Paris, to discuss and exchange views on key issues, including efforts to deal with Islamophobia,” he said in a statement.
He said Malaysia and France shared close friendship ties underpinned by active economic cooperation and friendly people-to-people relations.
“This visit will further enhance the bilateral relationship which has been beneficial to the people of both countries, as implemented through existing cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, and technology exchange,” he said.
In 2022, France was Malaysia’s 21st-largest trading partner at the global level and third-largest among EU member countries with a trading volume worth RM18.05 billion – a 39.1% increase over 2021’s figure. – Bernama, June 1, 2023