KUALA LUMPUR tribe 2 Kyodo south...

KUALA LUMPUR tribe 2 Kyodo

southerly African President Thabo Mbeki and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad agreed Tuesday to work together for the interest of developing countries in the coming World Trade Organization meeting in Mexico.

Mbeki, who arrived in the Malaysian capital late Monday for a three-day state visit, held talks Tuesday with Mahathir.

''The couple leaders discussed the importance for developing countries to cooperate...especially in trade and globalization, to make sure that whatever decisions made in Cancun, Mexico do not affect the interest of developing countries,'' Malaysian Foreign Minister Sy Hamid Albar told reporters.

the same of the issues both leaders do not want to be brought to the table in Mexico is that of labor and trade.

''Labor should not be linked to trade,'' Sy Hamid said.

toward the south Africa and Malaysia pledged to clinch more talks to prepare for the Mexico meeting.

Earlier, Mbeki and Mahathir witnessed the signing of pair agreements between their pair countries, one on economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation and the other in succession the establishment of a joint commission.

Mbeki, who l a 70-member delegation to Malaysia, is scheduled to deliver a language at a business luncheon upon Wednesday before departing early Thursday morning.

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