India and Malaysia have experienced outstanding growth since the assumption of office by Anwar Ibrahim as Prime Minister of Malaysia in the year 2022. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the two nations have had more than 15 high-level visits by Ministers or Deputy Ministers within this period.
The current visit of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to India is his first official visit since taking office and is a convergence by the fact that it occurs within almost a decade of the enhanced strategic partnership between the two. It is a partnership that was first cemented during then-Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Malaysia back in 2015.
A sort of personal friendship had developed between the two leaders during Prime Minister Modi’s interaction with his counterpart Ibrahim during the Raisina Dialogue in 2019. “The very good friendship the two leaders share, which is quite apparent from their interactions during the Raisina Dialogue and in the recent talks, has been the turning point in our bilateral relations,” said Mazumdar.
He reminded that in fact, the India-Malaysia relationship has seen an upward swing since the tenure of Anwar Ibrahim himself, with over 15 bilateral visits and extensive discussion coverage on trade, commerce, defense, security, cultural exchanges, and emerging areas such as digital technologies, semiconductors, renewable energies, and sustainable development. The Indian diaspora in Malaysia numbers around 3 million, and another sizable PIO community of around 2.75 million was also noted as a critical aspect of the relationship.
The Prime Minister had just said that the India-Malaysia relationship was being taken to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Additionally, Malaysian investment in India crossed over $5 billion just last year.
Speaking at a joint press statement with Prime Minister Ibrahim at Hyderabad House in Delhi, he said, “This visit marks the beginning of my third term and it is an honor to welcome you. Our partnership with Malaysia has gained new momentum and energy over the last two years.“
Both countries exchanged several MoUs and agreements during the visit. Bilateral talks on how to boost cooperation in several areas were also held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Ibrahim.
ANI
