BRUSSELS: Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrived here Sunday for a two-day working visit to Belgium, as well as meeting leaders of the European Union (EU).
The aircraft carrying the Prime Minister landed at the Brussels Airport at 2 pm (Sunday, 9 pm Malaysian time) from London, where the premier had just concluded his working visit to the United Kingdom.
On hand to welcome the Prime Minister at the airport were Malaysian ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the European Union (EU), Datuk Mohd Khalid Abbasi Abdul Razak and Belgium’s Deputy Chief of Protocol Alain Schmitz.
During the visit, Anwar will be accompanied by Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Minister of Higher Education Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and Minister of Plantation and Commodities Johari Abdul Ghani.
Mohd Khalid Abbasi told reporters here that a positive development on the decision to restart negotiations on the stalled Malaysia-European Union Free Trade Agreement (MEUFTA) is expected during the premier’s visit.
Negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) started in 2010, but stalled in 2012, following Malaysia’s reservations over the EU’s palm oil procurement policies, subsidies and sustainability clauses.
A few hours after touching down in Brussels, the de facto EU capital, Anwar will attend a gathering with about 200 Malaysian diaspora in Belgium and Luxembourg.
He will also hold a meeting with the president of the Muslim Council of Belgium, the only official Islamic organisation in the country.
Making his maiden visit to Belgium since assuming office in November 2022, the Prime Minister is expected to address issues on trade, the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine crisis during his meeting with the leadership of Belgium and the EU.
Tomorrow, Anwar is scheduled to meet the caretaker Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander De Croo, to discuss the Malaysia-Belgium bilateral relations and intensify cooperative endeavours, as well as to exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.
He will then meet EU top officials, beginning with Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission (HR/VP).
This will be followed by a meeting with the European Council President, Antonio Costa, to discuss ways to deepen Malaysia-EU ties and regional cooperation.
As the current Chair of ASEAN, the Prime Minister is expected to take the opportunity through this working visit to highlight Malaysia’s priorities in the direction of the Malaysian Chairmanship which is themed ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’.
Anwar will wrap up his visit by delivering a keynote speech, entitled ‘Bridging Regions: Strengthening Southeast Asia-European Resilience’, at the College of Europe (COE) in Bruges, situated about 98km from here.
