MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo welcomed newly-installed Malaysian Foreign Minister Rais Yatim Wednesday in Malacañang in a bid to strengthen bilateral relations between the two Southeast Asian countries.

The meeting comes after Malaysia pulled out of the peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The President and the Malaysian official talked at 10 a.m. after which he would meet with Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo.

"We discussed general matters about the possibility of encouraging and improving bilateral in respect to programs pertaining to activities of the joint commissions," Yatim said of his meeting with the President.

He said that six joint commission meetings, particularly in education, fishery and youth programs, were ongoing and being held in Kuala Lumpur and Manila. He stressed the importance of the Philippines in the structure of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations of which the two countries were members and within the framework of cooperation.

"We of course express hope that tourism and flight operation of our national carrier will improve and go on in the Philippines," Yatim said. The two countries started bilateral relations in 1957.