Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

	Secretary Rice shakes hands with Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 27, 2006.
	U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice receives flowers upon arrival in Kuala Lumpur on July 27 for the 39th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and the ASEAN Regional Forum meeting, where she participated in discussions with senior government officials on bilateral, regional, and global issues of concern including North Korea, Iraq, and Iran. This is Secretary Rice’s first visit to Malaysia.
	U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Malaysian Foreign Minister Dato' Seri Syed Hamid Albar sign the ASEAN-U.S. Enhanced Partnership agreement, which will foster cooperation among all sectors of society, branches of government, and public and private institutions. Programs such as increased economic cooperation, research scholarships, security cooperation, and cultural exchanges will help the U.S. and ASEAN members reap the benefits of an increasingly globalized world.
	U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Malaysian Foreign Minister Dato' Seri Syed Hamid Albar exchange copies of the signed ASEAN-U.S. Enhanced Partnership agreement, which was first announced in November 2005 by U.S. President George Bush and completed at the 39th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Kuala Lumpur on July 27.
	Secretary Rice joined the Foreign Ministers of ASEAN countries and attending partner nations for a press conference at the 39th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting. During her trip to Kuala Lumpur, Secretary Rice also met with Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to discuss the United States and Malaysia's strong trade and investment ties, and their shared commitment to generating prosperity through openness, democracy, and freedom.
	Secretary Rice greets Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar and his wife at the annual Gala Dinner for attendees of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, hosted this year by outgoing chair Malaysia.
	At the Gala Dinner held each year at ASEAN's Ministerial Meeting, each country's Foreign Minister traditionally performs a skit. Secretary Rice, a classically trained and accomplished pianist, played a selection from Brahms. She was accompanied by famed Malaysian violinist Mustafa Fuzer Nawi, conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra, for her interpretation of Brahms' Sonata in D Minor, 2nd Movement.