Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe (above) and Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, are to visit Malaysia for an economic gathering, a minister said on Sunday. -- PHOTO: AFP
KUALA LUMPUR - ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe and Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, are to visit Malaysia for an economic gathering, a minister said on Sunday.
Kohilan Pillay, deputy foreign minister, told AFP that Mr Mugabe and Mr Bashir will be among the seven African leaders who will participate in the Langkawi International Dialogue from June 19 to 21.
'Leaders of the African countries will present their views on how to bolster trade, economic and political ties at the annual meeting,' he said.
The African leaders will be hosted by Prime Minister Najib Razak who will address the issue of socio-economic development.
Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, a close friend of Mr Mugabe, will deliver a keynote address at the meeting held in the new administrative capital of Putrajaya, just south of the capital Kuala Lumpur.
Mr Mahathir and Mr Mugabe share a love of anti-Western rhetoric in defence of the developing world, but while Mr Mahathir had steered his Southeast Asian country from the economic backwaters to the mainstream of Asian development, Zimbabwe's economy is facing a severe economic crisis. -- AFP
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