KUALA LUMPUR – London and Putrajaya are set to scale up bilateral ties as its key officials visit the region as part of its “Global Britain” vision.
In tandem with the trip by its Foreign Secretary James Cleverly to Beijing and Manila, another key foreign affairs official will pay a four day visit to Malaysia from September 5.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan, state minister for Indo-Pacific at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, will meet Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution and Deputy Minister International Trade and Industry Liew Chin Tong to broaden cooperation in vital areas such as trade, climate change and regional security.
She will also visit Laos prior to arriving in Malaysia.
“We must work together with partners to address the shared challenge of global climate change,” she said ahead of the Malaysian date.
With Malaysia ranked the 12th most biodiverse country in the world, nature and environment top her agenda.
She will also visit Sarawak where she will meet the local community indigenous to Borneo, tour a refuelling site for hydrogen-powered buses, and see biodiversity conservation in action with a visit to Semenggoh Wildlife Centre.
“Through our partnerships in Laos and Malaysia, the UK is supporting sustainable growth and accelerating the clean energy transition,” said Trevelyan.
Although her visit focuses mainly on environmental issues, observers have noted that it is timed shortly before an Asean summit in Jakarta, where the South China Sea dispute will be in the spotlight.
Trevelyan stressed Britain’s role as Asean’s dialogue partner.
“UK will continue working with partners to advance prosperity and stability.”
The UK’s Integrated Review Refresh, published in March 2023, made increased engagement with the Indo-Pacific a long-term pillar of the UK’s foreign policy.
With over half of global growth projected to come from the region by 2050, the region is vital to the prime minister’s priority of growing the UK’s economy. – The Vibes, August 30, 2023
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