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Iran's Ahmadinejad Arrives For Visit To M'sia

SEPANG, March 1 (Bernama) - Iranian President Dr Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived Wednesday for a three-day visit to Malaysia aimed at boosting ties between the two Muslim countries. Dr Ahmadinejad, who was elected president on Aug 6, 2005, was met on arrival at the KL International Airport in Sepang by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar. The plane carrying the Iranian leader, whose country is currently facing pressure from the west over its nuclear energy programme, touched down at 7.30pm. He will be accorded an official welcoming ceremony at Parliament Square in Kuala Lumpur, Thursday morning and hold talks with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in Putrajaya, Malaysia's federal administrative capital, in the afternoon.

A previous Foreign Ministry statement said apart from exchanging views on the present regional and international issues, Dr Ahmadinejad is expected to brief Abdullah about Iran's nuclear programme. He is scheduled to attend a banquet at Istana Negara in the evening. Accompanying him on his first ever trip to Malaysia are two ministers, two senior government officials at the ministerial level, four deputy ministers and other senior government officials as well as representatives of the media. In the statement, Wisma Putra said the visit by Dr Ahmadinejad is expected to herald a new beginning in the relationship between Malaysia and Iran, including in the field of trade and investment for the mutual benefit of the two countries.