NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent visit to New Delhi has provided a fresh impetus to Malaysia-India relations as the two countries are looking to grow bilateral trade by 25 per cent in the next two years, Malaysian High Commissioner to India Datuk Muzafar Shah Mustafa said.
The visit “marked a significant milestone” as bilateral ties were raised to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in August, he said at the Malaysia National Day reception in New Delhi on Monday evening.
“Our trade relations, which reached close to US$20 billion in 2023, are set to grow further as we work towards a target of US$25 billion in the next two years,“ he said.
The establishment of the Malaysia-India Digital Council has created the potential for closer cooperation in areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and digital public infrastructure, Muzafar said.
The reception was attended by about 300 people, including the heads of ASEAN diplomatic missions, ambassadors of many countries, government officials and local community members.
The guests also watched a Malaysian traditional cultural performance by a group of students from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) studying at KLE University in Karnataka in south India.
Jaideep Mazumdar, secretary (east) at India’s Ministry of External Affairs, underlined keen interest on both sides and high-level engagements to strengthen relations, including people-to-people links and tourism exchange.
He encouraged business people in India and Malaysia to take advantage of the growing relationship.
