NEW DELHI: Terming Malaysia as key partner in Asean, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is keen to forge strategic partnership between Delhi and Kuala Lumpur during his impending visit.

Manmohan, on his three-nation Asian tour, which includes Japan and Vietnam, will officially be in Malaysia from Oct 26-28, on the invite of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

"I will seek new areas of understanding with Prime Minister Najib that reinforce the rich bonds of history and culture that unite us," he said in a statement today.

The visit will mark Manmohan's inaugural bilateral visit to Malaysia since taking office in 2004, and after almost a decade, he is the first Indian premier to come to Malaysia.

Manmohan hoped his visit would lead to greater integration of the two economies and cooperation in the areas of infrastructure development, railways, knowledge industries, energy, defence and greater people-to-people exchanges.

"In today's unsettled world, it is all the more important for societies that are democratic, multi-religious and multicultural to work together.

"We share a special bond with Malaysia because it is home to one of the largest People of Indian Origin (PIO) communities of over two million, and I look forward to meeting some of them," he said.

The 78-year-old premier will be accompanied by wife, Gursharan Kaur, and a high-powered delegation led by Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma.

- The Malay Mail