British Prime Minister David Cameron and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak on Thursday vowed to double bilateral trade in four years, according to dap. "(The potential) is simply enormous and both our economic ministers have agreed that we should try to double our bilateral trade by the year 2016," Najib said in a joint conference with Cameron after their meeting. "We both agree that there is an opportunity for us to enhance and increase our bilateral trade," he said. "It's an ambitious goal but we will try to work towards that." Bilateral trade between the two countries stood at 13.69 billion ringgit (4.56 billion dollars) in 2011. Cameron arrived in Malaysia Thursday afternoon for an overnight visit in a bid to boost ties with the South-East Asian country. He was the first British leader to visit the former British colony in nearly two decades. Aside from trade, the two leaders discussed issues of mutual concerns related to politics, diplomacy, education and training, science, technology and environment as well as defence and security. Cameron was also scheduled to meet with Malaysian business leaders and witness the signing of an agreement on educational cooperation between the two countries. Cameron admitted that relations between Malaysia and Britain have been "neglected". "Our relationship with Malaysia is hugely important to the UK, but, quite frankly, it's one that has been neglected in the past," he said in an interview with The Star, Malaysia's leading English-language newspaper. "Today, I will be the first British prime minister to visit Malaysia since 1993, and I want my visit to build on the relationship Prime Minister Najib and I reinvigorated," he was quoted as saying. Cameron added that he and Najib "share the same ambition to reject violent extremism and to create prosperity for our people." Cameron's 83-member delegation included Minister of State for Trade and Investment Stephen Green and Minister of State for Universities and Science David Willets. -- SPA
