Oleh/By : DATO SERI DR MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : KIEV, UKRAINE
Tarikh/Date : 14/07/2003
Tajuk/Title : THE OFFICIAL DINNER HOSTED BY
H.E. MR LEONID KUCHMA
PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE
Versi : ENGLISH
Penyampai : PM
Thank you, Mr. President, for your warm words of
welcome. I am indeed honoured to be here and at this
gracious occasion this evening. I am truly delighted
that I have been able to undertake my first official
visit to your beautiful country. More so as I am the
first Malaysian Prime Minister ever to visit Ukraine.
2. On behalf of my wife, my delegation and on my own
behalf, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to
you, Mr. President, and Madam Kuchma, your Government
and the People of Ukraine, for the warm hospitality and
excellent arrangements accorded to us since our
arrival. We have been hugely impressed by the artistry
of your fine architecture and the wealth of your
traditions and culture.
3. Ukraine is an extraordinary country. Your
strength lies in your extraordinary people whose
skills, talents and resourcefulness in fields such as
science, medicine and aviation are the envy of many.
Your country in the decade of your independence has
been a symbol of courage, Ukraine can stand tall and
proud as you have freed yourself from communism and
embraced a democratic free market system. The path to
economic development is never easy or smooth but you
have endeavoured to introduce reforms. Your economy is
now growing and your determination to meet the
challenges head-on has allowed you to enjoy the
benefits of your forward looking policies.
4. My visit here today is a testament to the strength
of our relationship characterised by warmth and
friendship since diplomatic ties were established in
1991.
5. Our bilateral ties premised on mutual respect and
understanding has seen remarkable progress since the
establishment of your Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Trade
has shown positive trends although I believe that we
have yet to realise our full potential. It is for this
reason that I included a significant number of
businessmen in my delegation. I hope that they will be
able to use the opportunities provided through their
visit here to build personal relationships - so crucial
to business success.
6. I urge Malaysian and Ukrainian businessmen to
promote their respective companies and products through
participation in trade fairs and exhibitions to
exchange ideas through dialogue and seminars. I am
particularly hopeful that Ukraine can provide a
distribution centre for Malaysian palm oil and other
products. Ukraine's strategic position at the
crossroads of Europe and Asia make that prospect very
attractive.
7. Through Malaysia, Ukraine has a gateway to the
other ASEAN nations and by extension the rest of East
Asia. Furthermore, with the realisation of AFTA in
2004, a market of over 500 million is open to you
through Malaysia. We are Ukraine's logical springboard
for the region.
8. I am deeply grateful to Ukraine for opening their
academic doors to Malaysian students. There are a
large and increasing number of Malaysian students
pursuing their studies in varied fields such as
medicine and engineering. The Crimea alone is home to
more than 500 medical students. Students are more
often than not effective ambassadors. They portray the
rich diversity of our multiracial, multi religious
heritage which is the strength of Malaysia. Ukrainian
students too are welcome to pursue their studies in
Malaysia. As a centre for excellence, Malaysia can
offer interesting courses that can help bring about
greater understanding of our different cultures and
religions and the common threads that bind us.
9. Allow me once again, to reiterate my heartfelt
thanks to you, Mr. President, for the hearty welcome
and the generous hospitality extended to my wife,
members of my delegation and to me.
Sumber : Pejabat Perdana Menteri
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