RIO DE JANEIRO: Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim held a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the BRICS Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The leaders discussed strengthening economic and diplomatic ties between Malaysia and India.
The meeting took place on Sunday, with both leaders attending the summit at the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. This marks their second meeting since last year’s ASEAN-India Summit in Laos.
Anwar was joined by Malaysia’s Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, while India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also participated. The discussions focused on enhancing trade relations, with Malaysia being India’s third-largest trading partner in ASEAN.
Total trade between the two nations reached USD20.02 billion in 2023-2024, making up 17 per cent of India’s total trade with ASEAN. Malaysia’s recent inclusion as a BRICS Partner Country on Jan 1 this year further strengthens its role in global economic cooperation.
Anwar arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday to attend the 17th BRICS summit, where leaders from emerging economies discuss key global issues. – Bernama
