Ambassador

James R. Keith Ambassador of the United States to Malaysia

Thank you and good morning. It is a pleasure and a privilege to be here with you this morning. My wife, Jan, my children Elizabeth and John, and I have heard so much about the warmth and hospitality of the Malaysian people. Although I just arrived late yesterday afternoon, I can already see that we are going to enjoy living and working here. I look forward to close, constructive, and respectful working relationships with Malaysians from all walks of life, including the friends and colleagues this Embassy has come to know in the Malaysian Government.

I recognize that Malaysia is a country of tremendous natural beauty, varied resources, and a rich diversity of cultures. The evidence of the talent and productivity of the Malaysian people is abundant, including Kuala Lumpur's gleaming skylines and the entire country's state-of-the-art technologies. In this 50th Merdeka year, Malaysians have every reason to be proud of the remarkable progress this country has achieved in a short period of time.

I am excited at the prospect of beginning work as the new U.S. Ambassador here with a terrific Embassy team and strong working relationships with the Malaysian Government. I am grateful to Ambassador LaFleur, for whom I have the highest respect as one of our most accomplished and experienced diplomats, for the productive and constructive relationship that he advanced between our two countries and which he has handed over to me to sustain and expand. As we celebrate the past 50 years of shared interests between our two countries, it is worth contemplating that Malaysia has become a vital friend and partner of the United States. I will do everything I can to expand our partnership to the benefit of the American and Malaysian people.

One important task for me from the outset will be to get to know the good people of Malaysia. I look forward to traveling all over this country, speaking about America and hearing what Malaysians think about the world. What Malaysians think matters to our senior leaders in Washington because there is much that Malaysia has to contribute to global peace, prosperity, and stability. I take it as my responsibility to ensure that the United States is doing all that it can to promote and expand our dialogue on these issues.

I will seek to expand our economic relationship, which forms the bedrock of our relations. I hope that the negotiations toward a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA) continue in earnest. An FTA would be an effective and mutually rewarding means of achieving our two countries' shared interest in Malaysia's sustainable development, economic growth, and retention of a keen competitive edge in a 21st century global marketplace. We are all in this global economy together, and both Malaysia and the United States can become stronger by deepening our trade ties.

In addition to strong common economic interests, America and Malaysia also share national interests in regional peace and stability and the security of the global trading system. I will pursue deeper exchanges on bilateral, regional, and global affairs between our senior leaders, including in the context of ASEAN. We need to hear more from Malaysia's senior officials about their perspective on world events, ranging from instability in the Middle East to combating international organized crime, and counterterrorism. I anticipate that our militaries will continue to train together regularly, and I hope to see our law enforcement cooperation grow broader and deeper as we work to protect our citizens from threats to their safety and security.

We will also want to find ways to deepen our dialogue on developing export controls, protecting the environment, sustaining the most effective possible protections of human dignity and freedom throughout the world, and taking advantage of the tremendous pace of technological advances in fields ranging from biology and physics to communication and energy. Much can be done by working together in multilateral organizations and institutions.

Finally, I want to wish Malaysian Muslims "selamat berpuasa," health and peace during this fasting month. I look forward to presenting my credentials to His Majesty the King in the near future, and thereafter I hope to see much more of all of you as we work together to build a stronger set of ties between the Malaysian and American people, to construct a safer and more prosperous region, and advise each other about the best ways to take on the world's fundamental problems.

Thank you very much.

Akhir kata, saya harap perhubungan diantara Amerika Syarikat dan Malaysia akan bertambah baik dan erat. Saya juga ingin menegaskan disini bahawa Amerika akan bekerjasama dengan Malaysia demi kesejahteraan rakyat kedua-dua negara. Terima kasih.