Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi held talks Wednesday with his Pakistani counterpart on increasing economic cooperation, with the two sides agreeing to start free trade talks, state-run media reported. Badawi met Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in the capital Islamabad and the two leaders agreed to start formal talks aimed at an agreement for free trade between their two countries, state-run Pakistan television reported. Badawi and Aziz also discussed enhancing cooperation in the fields of agriculture, tourism, education and science and technology, PTV said. Badawi arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday for a four-day visit during which he will also meet with President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and other senior government officials. Foreign Ministry spokesman Masood Khan, speaking ahead of Wednesday's meeting between Badawi and Aziz, said trade between Pakistan and Malaysia has increase in recent years and it was currently worth US$680 million, state-news agency reported. --more 1417 Local Time 1117 GMT
