Malaysian royalty on visit to Sweden, after - to Russia

The king and queen of Malaysia arrived in Sweden Wednesday for a three-day official visit at the invitation of their Swedish counterparts.

King Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail and Queen Fauziah Abdul Rashid arrived at Stockholm's international airport after a private visit to Poland and were greeted by Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria.

Later in the afternoon they were to meet with Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. The program also includes visits to the city of Mariefred and Goteborg, Sweden's second largest city, 476 kilometers (296 miles) southwest of Stockholm.

The king and queen of Malaysia are constitutional monarchs, a largely ceremonial role. Sirajuddin is one of nine sultans of the country's 13 states, who take turns at being king for five-year terms.

Sweden's royals are figureheads with no political powers.

During the weekend, Sirajuddin and Fauziah will visit St. Petersburg in Russia before beginning a state visit to neighboring Finland on Monday.

The Swedish king and queen visited Malaysia in 1996.

On photo: Malasian King Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail.