KUCHING, Feb 18: German President Dr Frank-Walter Steinmeier has arrived in Kuching for his maiden one-day working visit to Sarawak.
According a news report from Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas) today, Steinmeier arrived together with his wife Elke Budenbender at 10.54am and was welcomed by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts (MTCP) Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah and the others.
Apart from strengthening bilateral relations, the purpose of his visit was also to witness Sarawak’s commitment in dealing with climate change while protecting its rainforest.
Steinmeier is scheduled to visit Telaga Air, which is an eco-tourism destination and later the Semenggoh Wildlife Conservation Center before departing for Berlin in the evening.
Steinmeier and his wife’s three-day visit to Malaysia from Feb 16 to 18, is part of a continuous effort to strengthen the close relationship that has already been established since Germany is Malaysia’s largest trading partner among European Union (EU) countries.
For the record, the last state visit involving the German president to Malaysia was 26 years ago, which was in April 1997. — DayakDaily
