Muhyiddin Arrives For Nuclear Security Summit In Seoul

From Ravichandran Rajamanickam SEOUL, March 26 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin arrived here Sunday night to attend the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit which opens Monday. Muhyiddin (third from left) who was accompanied by his wife Noorainee Abdul Rahman (fourth from left), arrived at the Gimpo International Airport, here at about 10pm (local time) and received by Malaysian Ambassador to South Korea Ramlan Ibrahim (left). Some 53 world leaders, among them United States President Barack Obama and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, are scheduled to attend the two-day summit which will discuss issues concerning a guarantee on the safety of nuclear materials and technology in efforts to prevent nuclear terrorism. On Monday, Muhyiddin will attend the official welcoming ceremony and reception by South Korean President Lee Myung-bak at the venue of the summit, the Convention and Exhibition Center (COEX), here. This is to be followed by a working dinner where Muhyiddin will join other participating leaders in exchanging views and review the progress made since the first summit in 2010 in Washington. On Tuesday, Muhyiddin will attend the plenary session where participating leaders would discuss national measures and international cooperation to enhance nuclear security, including future commitments. At the leaders working luncheon on that day, the issue of nuclear security-safety interface would also be on the table of discussions. Later in the evening, Muhyiddin will proceed to a hotel here to attend a gala dinner hosted by the South Korean President and wife, thus signalling the end of the summit. He is scheduled to depart to Kuala Lumpur the same night. Meanwhile, Muhyiddin's wife Noorainee would attend separate programmes for the spouses, hosted by the South Korean President's wife, Kim Yoon-ok. Also on Monday, she will attend a dinner at the Korean National Museum and on Tuesday attend a luncheon at Chungwadae, the presidential palace, here. Carrying the theme "Beyond Security, Towards Peace", the summit is a follow up to the first one, attended among others by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and leaders from 46 other countries. (photoBERNAMA) MALAYSIA