Aquino returns from 'fruitful' Malaysia visit

MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III was hopeful of more business investors for Mindanao as he returned from a two-day state visit to Malaysia, early Saturday.

Aquino arrived at 2:47 a.m. at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 on board Philippine Airlines flight PR-001.

In his arrival speech, Aquino said his short visit to Malaysia was very "fruitful" with more pledges of cooperation from his counterpart Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and potential investors in Mindanao.

He said that he was assured during his meeting with the Malaysian prime minister of improved trade between the two countries and more business activities in Mindanao, coming from Malaysia, which has been helping the Philippine government strike a peace deal with the rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The government is hopeful that a final peace agreement will be signed by the two negotiating panels within the year.

Aquino said that during his visit, the Philippines and Malaysia had two significant documents: a memorandum of understanding for education and a memorandum of agreement on culture, arts and heritage cooperation.

During the two-day visit, Aquino also met with the Filipino community and inaugurated a Petron service station in Malaysia.

Aquino said he also met with top Malaysian businessmen and invited potential investments for Mindanao.

The President was also personally assured by the Malaysian prime minister of his country's support to the Philippines advocacy of peacefully resolving the South China Sea dispute with China, which has occupied several parts of the disputed seas that are also being claimed by the Philippines and other claimant-countries.

The President's visit to Malaysia completed his visit to all member-countries of the Association of South East Asian Nation.