Oleh/By		:	DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD 
Tempat/Venue 	: 	SRI PERDANA, KUALA LUMPUR 
Tarikh/Date 	: 	04/01/88 
Tajuk/Title  	: 	THE OFFICIAL DINNER IN HONOUR OF 
			H.E. MR. GIOVANNI GORIA THE PRIME 
			MINISTER OF THE REPUBLIC OF ITALY 




 Your Excellency Mr. Giovanni Goria
     Prime Minister of the Republic of
     Italy;
Madame Goria;
Distinguished Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen.
    It  gives me great pleasure to welcome Your Excellency,
Madame Goria and distinguished members of your delegation to
Malaysia.  My wife and I are  very  honoured  to  have  Your
Excellency and Madame Goria here tonight.  Your Excellency's
visit  is  indeed  a  significant event as this is the first
official visit by  a Prime Minister of Italy to Malaysia.  I
hope that during your short stay in  Malaysia  you  will  be
able  to  see  a  little  bit of our country and observe our
multi-racial way of life.
2.   Italy is no alien land to Malaysia.  Our ties go back a
long way.  Some of us associate Italy in the context of  the
arts,  accomplished  music,  an  important nexus of European
culture.  Italy also represents a  mature  nation,  figuring
frequently  in  world  history,  rising   and   ebbing   and
ultimately  emerging  as  one  of  the more  technologically
advanced nations in modern times.
Your Excellency,
3.   Relations  between  Italy and Malaysia has been growing
steadily over the last  two  decades.    Our  relations  are
founded upon the commitment to raise the economic and social
well-being  of  our  peoples,  the pursuit of close regional
cooperation in our respective regions and  the commitment to
a peaceful resolution of international conflicts. It is  our
hope  to  see  that  our  relations  be further consolidated
through more exchanges of visits  between  the  leaders  and
peoples of Italy and Malaysia.
4.   Your  visit   here,   Excellency,   has  given  us  the
opportunity  to exchange views on bilateral matters as  well
as  on  regional  and international issues.  I believe there
is  considerable scope for the  expansion of  our  bilateral
relations,  particularly  in the  field of trade, investment
and economic cooperation. These are areas where the  private
sector  of both sides could play an important role by taking
advantage of the  various  opportunities  available.    Only
through  such  mutually  beneficial  endeavours  can  we add
substance  to  our relations in order to further  strengthen
the foundations already laid.  In this connection, I welcome
the  presence  in  your  delegation of so many distinguished
members of the  Italian  private  sector.   I  do  hope they
would  follow-up  on  the  discussions   held   with   their
Malaysian counterparts.
Your Excellency,
5.   Malaysia  is fully aware of Italy's pivotal role in the
founding of the European Economic Community.  As a member of
ASEAN we are particularly pleased with the frequent contacts
which have been established between the two sides within the
framework of  the  ASEAN-EEC  Dialogues.    The  cooperative
endeavours  between  our  respective   regions   have   been
encouraging  and  I am confident that the existing ASEAN-EEC
machinery would contribute positively towards  realising our
potential and further augmenting cooperation at all levels.
6.   Like  other  developing countries Malaysia's economy is
dependent on the export of primary products.   What  we  are
concerned  with  are  the  problems of tariff and non-tariff
barriers   which   negate   the  fundamental  principles  of
international  trade.  The  basic  issue  is  that of market
access.  It  is therefore our hope that developed members of
GATT  would take the necessary  measures to harmonise tariff
rates for  tropical products to the lowest prevailing  rates
in  their respective  countries,  and to reduce agricultural
subsidies  which  have  caused  massive distortions in world
agricultural trade.  I trust that Italy itself would help to
persuade the European Community  to  actively participate in
the current  Multi-lateral Trade Negotiations with a view to
liberalising trade in agriculture.
Your Excellency,
7.   We are living today  in  a  world  where  international
peace  and  security  is  bedevilled  not  only  by regional
conflicts  but  also  by  major power rivalry.    Developing
countries  have  become mere pawns in this game. The efforts
at  reaching  a  satisfactory  solution  and an end to  such
problems  as  Kampuchea,  Afghanistan,  the Middle-East  and
South   Africa   are   continuously   hampered  by  built-in
complexities and special interests. But whilst our influence
is  limited, Malaysia is fully  committed  as  a  nation  to
making our views heard in the relevant internatioanl fora in
the interests of attaining  fairness  and  justice  and  the
preservation   of   the   highly   cherished  principles  of
international relations.
8.   As a country close to the Kampuchean conflict, Malaysia
shall  continue  to intensify its efforts, together with the
other ASEAN members, in finding a durable and  comprehensive
political  solution to the Kampuchean problem, so that peace
and stability will return not only to Kampuchea but also  to
the  region  as a whole.  In this connection, we welcome the
latest initiative of Prince Sihanouk  to  seek  a  political
solution through national reconciliation.
9.   In  the  backdrop  of  uncertainties  in  international
relations  and security, it is a matter of some satisfaction
to   see East-West relations taking a positive turn with the
recent  signing  of the INF Treaty between the United States
and  the  Soviet  Union.  The conclusion of such a treaty is
indeed  a  good  beginning  and a significant step away from
nuclear brinkmanship.  In  fact,  given  sincerity  on  both
sides,  we may  gradually progress towards a nuclear-weapons
free world  in our lifetime.  Efforts to minimise the danger
of a  nuclear  conflict however should not increase the risk
of  conventional  war.  The process of disarmament should of
course not be  confined to Europe alone. It should extend to
Asia as soon as possible,  for  nuclear  warfare  cannot  be
restricted to any region. A nuclear war will be a world war.
Your Excellency,
10.  I  would like to once  again  express  my  pleasure  in
welcoming   you   and  the  distinguished  members  of  your
delegation to Malaysia  and I hope your stay in Malaysia has
been both enjoyable and memorable.
11.  Honourable   Ministers,   Excellencies,   distinguished
guests,  ladies and gentlemen.  May I now invite you to join
me in a toast to the continued good health and happiness  of
His  Excellency  the President of the Republic of Italy, His
Excellency the Prime Minister of the Republic of  Italy  and
Madame  Goria  and  to  the  ever-lasting friendship between
Malaysia and the Republic of Italy.