Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi commends Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim’s reform agenda and highlights deep bilateral affinities during his official visit to Malaysia.
SERI KEMBANGAN: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s efforts to implement a reform agenda received praise by his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day official visit to Malaysia beginning today.
Speaking at an event with the Indian community at the Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre (MIECC), here, Modi said he greatly appreciated Anwar’s confidence in the potential of both countries.
Modi said the personal relationship between him and Anwar had been established long before Anwar assumed the office of prime minister.
He added that his visit to Malaysia this time was also to fulfil a promise he made to Anwar to come to the country, after being unable to attend the Asean summit in Kuala Lumpur last year.
“I promised my friend that I would come to Malaysia in the near future. As promised, today I am here,” Modi said.
He also commended the Malaysia–India bilateral relationship, saying that it has grown increasingly close over the years.
Beyond state-to-state relations, Modi said Malaysia is home to the second-largest community of Indian descent in the world, a fact that has fostered many shared connections between the peoples of both countries.
These, he said, include various types of cuisine and spices.
“The tastes feel so familiar, whether in Kuala Lumpur or in Kochi. We understand each other so well, perhaps because so many words are shared between our languages and the Malay language.”
Modi will remain in Malaysia until Sunday, marking a reciprocal visit following Anwar’s trip to India in August 2024.
