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WASHINGTON, Mar 9 (AFP): The United States wants to fast track free-trade talks with Malaysia and strike agreement by the end of the year, but the complex deal will require flexibility and understanding, its ambassador said Thursday.
US Trade Representative Rob Portman and Malaysian trade minister Rafidah Aziz announced that they were launching talks to hammer out a trade deal, as Washington strives to tear down barriers to its goods in Asia.
The move caps a transformation in the relationship between the two countries since the departure two years ago of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad who was renowned for his anti-Western rhetoric.
US ambassador Christopher LaFleur said that despite concerns Malaysia's reluctance to throw open its auto and banking sectors could become sticking points, he didn't anticipate any major problems in the negotiations.
LaFleur said the United States was trying to expedite the free-trade agreement before the administration's ability to negotiate a deal expires on July 1, 2007.
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