"We are very pleased to see our governments moving forward on this initiative. The trade and investment benefits to the US are obvious. Our companies account for the biggest foreign investments in Malaysia, and Malaysia is our 10th largest global trading partner," said Matthew Daley, President of the US-ASEAN Business Council. "But the agreement is even bigger than that. An FTA with Malaysia will represent a broadening and deepening of a relationship central to our economic interests in the region."

The Council has been the leading private sector advocate behind the start of FTA talks with Malaysia. In December of last year, Matthew Daley led a Council delegation of 18 executives to Malaysia to encourage the start of FTA talks. Interaction with key Malaysian officials on that visit left no doubt that Malaysia was prepared to move forward in a serious, focused way.

At a March 8, Washington, DC launch of the US-Malaysia FTA Business Coalition, Walter Lohman, Senior Vice President of the Council said, "This agreement is a major opportunity for our companies. We're ready to get to work and make the most of it. We're here at the take off today, and we'll be there at the end, working to get a comprehensive, high quality, commercially meaningful FTA through Congress."

Marc Mealy, Senior Director of the US-Malaysia Business Council noted further, "The start of FTA talks reflects the continued maturation of the overall US-Malaysia bilateral relationship and presents a unique opportunity to expand our rich history of mutually beneficial trade and investment ties."

The US-ASEAN Business Council is the Secretariat of the US-Malaysia FTA Business Coalition. The Coalition is co-chaired by representatives of several of the most recognized US brands, including, American International Group, Cargill, Citigroup, Discovery Communications, Inc., Federal Express, General Electric Company, Intel Corporation, and Oracle Corporation. Its Steering Committee is composed of the most influential American trade associations active in Washington, DC, including the American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce, Coalition of Service Industries, Emergency Committee for American Trade, National Association of Manufacturers and the United States Chamber of Commerce. With talks now announced, the full weight of this coalition will be brought to bear on achieving an agreement that can pass Congressional muster, and on building the necessary Congressional support.

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The US-ASEAN Business Council and affiliates are dedicated to strengthening bilateral and US ASEAN relations and building strong economic and commercial ties. Members of the Council include Fortune 1000 companies in support of promoting trade, investment, and technology cooperation, advancing US ASEAN relations through strong participation in public-private partnerships, and committing to development and corporate social responsibility. The Council's members are represented in diverse industries, including aerospace, agribusiness, automobiles, computers and information technology, consumer goods, energy exploration and development, express delivery services, financial services, health care and pharmaceuticals, media & entertainment, mining, software, and telecommunications.

For information on the US-ASEAN Business Council or general information visit www.us-asean.org.