PM Narendra Modi holds bilateral talks with Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held substantive bilateral talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur, where the two leaders reviewed the full spectrum of India–Malaysia relations and exchanged several agreements to elevate cooperation across key strategic and economic domains.
Key agreements and areas of cooperation
- Both sides exchanged 11 documents, including Memoranda of Understanding, covering cooperation in disaster management, audiovisual co-production, combating and preventing corruption, security, and semiconductor development.
- The leaders underscored momentum in energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, and the digital economy, with a shared push to scale partnerships in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, healthcare, and food security.
Security, counter-terrorism, and regional stability
Prime Minister Modi highlighted plans to expand cooperation in counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing, maritime security, and defence. He reiterated India’s clear stance that there can be no double standards on terrorism and no compromise in the fight against it. Both sides affirmed their commitment to work together for peace, stability, and development in the broader region.
People-to-people ties, education, and culture
Emphasising the special bond between India and Malaysia as maritime neighbours, Prime Minister Modi praised the strong people-to-people connections, including the vibrant Indian diaspora in Malaysia. He welcomed the audiovisual co-production agreement, noting its potential to deepen film and music exchanges—particularly in Tamil cinema. The leaders also placed emphasis on youth-focused initiatives such as university exchanges, skill development, and startup collaboration.
ASEAN partnership and the Indo-Pacific
Reaffirming India’s commitment to ASEAN centrality, Prime Minister Modi congratulated Malaysia on its ASEAN chairmanship. The two sides agreed to fast-track the review of the ASEAN–India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA). They also noted that the Indo-Pacific continues to emerge as a major engine of global growth and agreed to strengthen coordination to promote a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based regional order.
Economic partnership and trade
Both leaders described the economic relationship as comprehensive and rapidly expanding. Malaysia and India underscored the importance of timely implementation of the new agreements, and expressed intent to broaden trade and investment ties. The use of local currencies—the Indian rupee and the Malaysian ringgit—for bilateral trade was highlighted as a notable milestone. The two governments signalled a shared ambition to surpass recent trade benchmarks and expand cooperation in connectivity, agriculture, energy, and the digital economy.
Statements by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim commended Prime Minister Modi for his unequivocal efforts to promote peace and support diplomatic initiatives related to global conflicts, including the Russia–Ukraine situation and developments in the Middle East, particularly Gaza. He described the talks as going beyond routine diplomacy, marked by trust, understanding, and a results-oriented approach.
Reflecting on the trajectory of bilateral ties—dating back to 1957 and elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2024—Prime Minister Anwar said the relationship is anchored in deep historical bonds, strong societal linkages, and steadily growing economic engagement. He affirmed both sides’ commitment to deepen collaboration across a wide range of sectors, including trade and investment, semiconductors, the digital economy, local currency trade, connectivity, energy, agriculture, food security, defence, education, healthcare, tourism, and cultural exchanges.
The leaders concluded by directing their teams to accelerate implementation of the new understandings and maintain close coordination to deliver tangible outcomes for both countries.
