Malaysia Important, Reliable Partner For Germany – Ambassador

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 (NNN) -- Germany seeks to deepen its economic and defence ties with Malaysia, describing the country as an important and reliable regional partner amid a changing global geopolitical and economic landscape.

Germany’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Silke Riecken-Daerr, said Malaysia offers significant investment opportunities for German companies, supported by its strategic location, skilled workforce, infrastructure and diversity.

“Malaysia is an important and reliable partner for Germany in the region, but not just economically. We are seeking closer defence ties by increasing our practical military cooperation and deepening our government-to-government armament cooperation,” she said during her address at the Day of German Unity reception held here on Thursday evening.

Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani was the guest of honour at the celebration, which was attended by more than 1,000 people, including foreign diplomats in Malaysia, government officials, representatives of German companies and organisations, and members of the German community in Malaysia.

Riecken-Daerr said German companies viewed Malaysia positively as an investment destination, while Malaysian investors were also increasingly looking towards Germany.

“Malaysia offers great investment opportunities in a strategic location. Malaysia’s diversity, skilled labour force, infrastructure and hospitality are huge assets. At the same time, our firms value reliability, accessibility and a level playing field,” she said.

On Malaysia-European Union (EU) economic relations, Riecken-Daerr said the fifth round of negotiations for the Malaysia-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) took place in Brussels last week, with negotiations now moving into more delicate issues.

She said both sides remained focused on concluding the agreement by next year, which would help further unlock the potential of bilateral trade.

“The EU single market is huge, a highly attractive market to access, and Malaysia is a very attractive partner for the European Union to diversify economic ties, make supply chains more resilient and forge deeper tech and educational partnerships,” she said.

Beyond economic and defence cooperation, Riecken-Daerr said Germany also wanted to strengthen people-to-people links with Malaysia through joint cultural projects, academic and scientific cooperation, as well as language training.

Touching on the international situation, the ambassador said the global environment had changed significantly since Germany’s reunification 36 years ago, with international rules and principles increasingly facing challenges.

She also called for closer cooperation among middle-sized powers to uphold international law, freedom of navigation, free trade and multilateralism amid growing global uncertainty.

The celebration, marking Germany’s peaceful reunification, also featured German and Germany-linked businesses and organisations, including Airbus and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), among others.

Guests were also treated to a selection of German dishes, including a variety of German sausages, a German meatball dish called Königsberger Klopse and other traditional fare, during the celebration.

German Unity Day, celebrated annually on Oct 3, marks the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990, following the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of decades of division during the Cold War. It is Germany’s national day and commemorates the country’s peaceful reunification.

--NNN