SEPANG: The Governor-General of New Zealand, Dame Cindy Kiro has arrived in Malaysia for a four-day state visit at the invitation of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
Kiro, accompanied by her husband Dr Richard Davies, and senior officials, arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 at 9.50am on a commercial flight.
On arrival, Kiro and her delegation were greeted by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, who is also minister-in-attendance.
The Governor-General of New Zealand was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour mounted by the First Battalion of the Royal Ranger Regiment, led by Captain Nur Zhafran Ahamad.
This is Kiro’s maiden visit to Malaysia and the South-East Asian region since assuming office on Oct 21, 2021.
The last state visit by a governor-general of New Zealand was by Dame Patsy Reddy, from Dec 5 to 8, 2017.
Kiro’s visit reflects the importance of Malaysia-New Zealand's long-standing bilateral relations and multifaceted cooperation, which were officially elevated to the level of strategic cooperation in May 2023.
New Zealand is Malaysia's second largest trading partner in the Pacific region, with total trade between the two nations reaching RM6.32bil (US$1.42bil) as of June this year, an increase of 15.3 per cent from RM5.48bil (US$1.27bil) recorded in the same corresponding period in 2022.
Among the highlights of Kiro’s visit are a state banquet at Istana Negara and an audience with Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
She is also scheduled to hold a meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. - Bernama
