WASHINGTON: Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob arrived here Tuesday (Wednesday in Malaysia) for a four-day working visit including meeting with United States President Joe Biden and Asean leaders.
The Malaysian prime minister arrived at the Joint Base Andrews, here, at 8.16 pm (8.16 am Wednesday, Malaysia time).
He was greeted on arrival by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah.
The Malaysian leader was welcomed by Senior Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan and senior Malaysian officials when arrived at a hotel here later.
The prime minister will join Biden, US Vice President Kamala Harris and other ASEAN leaders at the two-day Asean-US Special Summit, here, starting Thursday (Friday in Malaysia).
President Biden will host a dinner for the Asean leaders at the White House here on Thursday.
This will be followed by the US president meeting with Asean leaders at the US Department of State, the venue of the special summit, here, on Friday (Saturday in Malaysia).
The special summit marks the 45th anniversary of the Asean-US dialogue relationship and the second special summit hosted by the US president in this country after the then-president Barack Obama welcomed Asean leaders in Sunnylands, California in Feb 2016.
Ismail Sabri, together with Asean leaders, will also participate in the discussion with vice president Harris at the State Department on Friday (Saturday in Malaysia).
The Malaysian prime minister will also meet with US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and US Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai here Thursday (Friday in Malaysia).
Ismail Sabri is scheduled to meet American captains of industries as well as US-Asean Business Council and Chamber of Commerce here on Thursday.
The Malaysian leader will also take the opportunity to meet Malaysian diaspora in an Aidilfitri Keluarga Malaysia gathering here on Wednesday (Thursday in Malaysia). -- Bernama