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Opening the first visit to Malaysia by a U.S. president in nearly half a century, Barack Obama looked ahead Saturday to economic and security talks with Prime Minister Najib Razak, who leads a southeast Asian nation with an important role in Obama's efforts to forge deeper ties with the region.

Stepping onto a red carpet at the Royal Malaysian Air Base, Obama was whisked by limousine to Kuala Lumpur's Parliament Square, where a 21-gun salute rang out as Malaysia's king and prime minister greeted Obama under muggy skies and a yellow awning. A military band played the U.S. and Malaysian national anthems twice and Obama inspected an elaborate honor guard in crisp green and white before the arrival ceremony came to a close.

Obama's next stop was to be the Istana Negara, the National Palace, for an audience with Malaysia's royal family before he takes his seat later Saturday at a state dinner in his honor.

During the two-day visit, which follows stops in Japan and South Korea, Obama will also meet with citizen leaders and hold a town hall-style forum with young leaders from across the region. But Obama rejected calls from human rights groups to meet with a prominent Malaysian opposition leader.

Obama, in a written interview with the Malaysian newspaper The Star, said his main message to Malaysia was that the U.S. welcomes its growing contributions to security and prosperity in the region.

"I see my visit as an opportunity to formalize a comprehensive partnership, and lay the foundation for even closer ties for years to come," Obama said.

Trade, defense and maritime security are among the issues Obama and Najib were expected to discuss during talks scheduled for Sunday.

Malaysia is one of a dozen countries involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade negotiations, a major focus during Obama's stop in Tokyo earlier in the week. The U.S. and Japan are working to overcome differences to pave the way for the broader, regional agreement to move forward.

Last month's disappearance of a commercial airliner carrying 239 people put Malaysia in the international spotlight as Obama was preparing to head to the region. The U.S. is assisting in the massive search effort and the disaster was expected to be on the agenda during Obama's visit.

Officials are widening the search area in a remote part of the ocean where the jet may have crashed. In a sign of the ongoing agony, about 50 relatives of missing Chinese passengers continue a sit-in protest outside the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing, demanding answers.

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Obama Opens Long-Awaited Visit to Malaysia