PM Modi, Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim Review Bilateral Progress At BRICS Summit

PM Narendra Modi met his Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim, on the sidelines of the 2025 BRICS Summit in Brazil.

During their meeting, the two leaders reviewed the progress made in bilateral ties and discussed ways to deepen trade and investment relations.

PM Modi shared photos of the meeting on X, calling it ‘a very good meeting’ and describing Malaysia as ‘vital for India’ with an important role in India’s Vision MAHASAGAR and Act East Policy.

Focus on trade, investment & emerging sectors

The leaders assessed the advancements made since PM Anwar’s visit to India in 2024.

PM Modi highlighted that ties have grown stronger in futuristic sectors such as information technology, renewable energy, and infrastructure. He added that both sides explored new ways to boost investment and expand trade between the two nations.

Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim calls for global institutional reforms

In his statement at the BRICS Summit, Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim called BRICS ‘a strong and principled force’ capable of shaping a more balanced and just international order.

He emphasised the need for comprehensive reforms in global institutions, such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organisation, to reflect the current global realities and the needs of developing nations.

Anwar also urged BRICS and ASEAN to strengthen strategic and economic cooperation, including enhancing cross-regional trade and investment to benefit developing economies.

India-Malaysia ties: A historic and evolving relationship

India established diplomatic relations with Malaysia’s predecessor state, the Federation of Malaya, in 1957.

Ties were notably strong in the 1960s due to the personal friendship between then-Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Tunku Abdul Rahman.

In recent years, leaders such as Abdullah Badawi and Najib Tun Abdul Razak took significant initiatives to expand India-Malaysia cooperation.

The relationship was further elevated to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership during PM Modi’s visit to Malaysia in November 2015.

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