PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Singapore are set to sign the Kuala Lumpur – Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) project agreement at the 7th Singapore-Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat tomorrow.

The signing of the agreement will be witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong.

Both leaders are also scheduled to have a ‘four-eyed’ meeting at the retreat, which has been held annually, hosted on a rotation basis by either country, since 2007.

The 350km-long KL-Singapore HSR landmark project is expected to boost connectivity, facilitate travel between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, enhance business linkages, and improve people-to-people ties.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry in a statement today said that as part of the annual retreat, a delegation meeting will also be held where both sides will discuss bilateral issues of mutual concern and review progress of existing bilateral cooperation, as well as build on the momentum of discussions held and initiatives agreed upon during the 2015 Leaders’ Retreat.

“The inaugural Leaders’ Retreat was held in May 2007 in Langkawi, Malaysia, and has since been a forum for both countries to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries,” said the ministry.

Lee will be accompanied by his wife, Ho Ching, several cabinet ministers and senior officials.

In 2015, Singapore was Malaysia’s 2nd largest trading partner globally. In 2015, total trade between the two countries was recorded at USD59.5 billion (RM190.6 billion), it added.

A Leaders’ Joint Statement will be issued following the conclusion of the Leaders’ Retreat, the ministry said.

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