"Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and Romania in 1969, both our countries have been able to register steady development in our relations through economic cooperation. Although our two countries are separated by geographical distance, distinct culture and governmental set-up, these have not prevented us from exchanging visits at various levels from time to time which have served to foster understanding and goodwill between us. Our ties of friendship and cooperation have been further augmented by our shared commitments to the ideals and aspirations of the United Nations Charter and by the similarity of views that we hold on many international issues. The state visit by President Nicolae Ceausescu to Malaysia in November, 1982 was a significant milestone in the development of our relations. It provided a further impetus to relations between our two countries and forged new links in various fields of cooperation that are mutually beneficial. The agreements reached between us during President Ceausescu's visit form a solid basis of our bilateral cooperation, particularly in the economic field. It is my intention not only to maintain this new momentum towards closer ties between us, but also to develop and strengthen our relations further. We already have the Joint-Commission which provides a ready vehicle to review the progress of our economic cooperation. I am certain that the Joint-Commission will be able to identify concrete areas and provide the necessary measures to increase our bilateral cooperation."