Malaysian PM’s Visit to India Starting Monday Can Strengthen Bilateral Relations
NEW DELHI, Aug 18 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's official visit to India from Monday (Aug 19) to Aug 21 will further strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries which has been established since 1957.
Malaysian High Commissioner to India, Muzafar Shah Mustafa said in conjunction with the visit, Malaysia and India will sign seven Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) covering cooperation in the fields of digital, tourism, health, workforce, public administration, and traditional Ayurveda medicine.
“This visit is also expected to open opportunities for cooperation in the field of renewable energy and electric vehicles (EV), where India has advantages.
“In addition, India hopes to strengthen cooperation in the semiconductor industry with Malaysia,” he told Malaysian reporters here Sunday.
Muzafar Shah said in conjunction with the visit, one of the focus of discussion between Anwar and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be regarding Malaysia's participation in BRICS, which is seen to be in line with India's efforts to strengthen its role in the international arena.
The meeting between Anwar and his counterpart is also expected to touch on issues in the Indo-Pacific region, especially as Malaysia prepares to take over as ASEAN chairman in 2025.
He said, apart from Malaysia, India is also seen as prioritising its relations with the ASEAN region and is committed to strengthening relations with ASEAN member countries in line with the country's Act East Policy.
Muzafar said India's desire to open an offshore campus - Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) - in Malaysia is also expected to be discussed during the meeting between the two leaders.
Anwar is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi around 9.40 pm local time Monday (12.10 midnight Aug 20 Malaysian time) to start the three-day official visit.
The official ceremony for Anwar’s visit will be held at the grounds of the official residence of the President of India, Rashtrapati Bhavan, here, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the Gandhi Memorial at the Raj Ghat Memorial Complex.
The Prime Minister is then scheduled to receive a courtesy call from India's Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar, followed by a closed-door meeting with Narendra Modi.
Anwar will also deliver a speech themed 'Towards a Rising Global South: Leveraging on Malaysia-India Ties' on the afternoon of Aug 20.
The Prime Minister's visit to India is accompanied by the Minister of Human Resources Steven Sim, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Arts Tiong King Sing and Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan.
Also participating in the visit are Digital Minister, Gobind Singh Deo; Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz and Public Services Director-General Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz.
India-Malaysia bilateral trade is worth over US$20 billion (US$1 = RM4.43) in 2023-2024 and projected to reach US$30 billion by 2025.
-- BERNAMA
