Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Monday said Pakistan and Malaysia enjoyed close brotherly and cordial relations which were rooted in faith, culture and traditions. He was talking to Malaysian Prime Minister Dato Sri Mohammad Najib Bin Tun Abdul Razak, who called him on the sidelines of ninth Asia-Europe Meeting Summit being held here in Laos Capital.
Prime Minister Ashraf thanked the Malaysian government for their generous assistance to Pakistan in the aftermath of natural disaster. He said Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries had resulted in increase of trade, however, there still existed more scope of improvement.
He appreciated Malaysian support to Pakistan for Full Dialogue Partner Status with Asean. He said Pakistan was in a position to meet the manpower requirement of Malaysia. PM Ashraf said Pakistan was gearing up for general elections in the country as the government of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) would be the first ever democratically elected government to complete its tenure.
He also briefed his Malaysian counterpart about the steps being taken by his government to ensure free, fair and impartial elections in the country. The appointment of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) through consensus by all political parties augurs well for democracy in the country, observed the PM. PM Najib said he had fond memories of his visit to Pakistan as Minister for Defence and that he looked forward to visit Pakistan. He appreciated the efforts made by the government of Pakistan for promoting stability in the country.