VLADIVOSTOK, RUSSIA: Malaysia and the United States are hoping to see a conclusion to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) multilateral trade negotiations by end-2013, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said here Sunday.

Najib, who had a bilateral meeting with the US State Secretary Hillary Clinton here today, said there were several issues yet to be satisfied and both governments are hoping that resolutions would be found for the outstanding issues by then.

He said both leaders also acknowledged the progress the US and Malaysia had made in their bilateral and trade relations.

Clinton also expressed interest in Malaysia's Global Movement of Moderates and wants to work with Malaysia on the concept, he said when briefing Malaysian journalists covering the 20th APEC Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting, which concluded here Sunday.

During their meeting earlier in the day, Najib and Clinton discussed the progress of the Fulbright English Teaching Assistance Programme and US' invitation to Malaysia to host the Global Entrepreneurship Summit next year.

Najib said Malaysia had accepted the invitation to host the summit.     Meanwhile, the APEC 2012 Leaders' Week came to an end today, with the 21 leaders of the regional economic forum issuing a joint declaration of their renewed and strengthened commitment to drive the region's prosperity and leadership in the global economy.

They had put forward and agreed to a host of concrete measures and programmes aimed at a continued regime of free trade, better supply chain mechanisms and the encouragement of innovation.

APEC 2012 Summit host, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, held a media conference for all the journalists covering the summit. 

September 9, 2012

Source: Bernama

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