SEPANG, July 1 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has embarked on a series of visits to three countries: Italy, France, and Brazil.
The chartered flight from Malaysia Airlines carrying the premier and the Malaysian delegation departed the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 2.15pm.
This series of visits, starting with a three-day official visit to Italy, forms part of Malaysia’s ongoing efforts to strengthen bilateral relations and promote economic cooperation at the global level.
The visits to these major economic hubs — Rome, Paris, and Rio de Janeiro — aim to strengthen Malaysia’s diplomatic ties and trade relations with the respective nations. These three markets collectively recorded bilateral trade valued at RM50.91 billion (US$11.14 billion) last year.
The Prime Minister is accompanied by a business delegation comprising representatives from major Malaysian corporations and innovative enterprises, including Petronas, Khazanah Nasional Bhd, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), Maybank, FGV, YTL Power, and Sunway.
Anwar’s inaugural visit to Italy is being undertaken at the invitation of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Malaysia’s Ambassador to Italy Datuk Zahid Rastam said the visit is expected to further strengthen bilateral relations between the countries across a wide range of sectors.
In Rome, the Prime Minister will be accompanied by five Cabinet ministers: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Transport Minister Anthony Loke, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, and Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz.
Also part of the delegation is Energy Transition and Water Transformation Deputy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.
In Paris, Anwar is scheduled to meet with President Emmanuel Macron, with discussions focusing on trade, technology, and education.
In addition to the roundtable with France’s industrial giants, he will engage with local Muslim leaders, meet Malaysian citizens in France, and deliver a public lecture at Sorbonne University on July 4.
After the Paris stopover, Anwar will travel to Rio de Janeiro to attend the 17th BRICS Summit, at the invitation of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Malaysia’s role as a BRICS partner country and Asean chair for 2025 will emphasise the importance of multilateralism based on law, governance of artificial intelligence, climate action, and global health, representing the aspirations of over 650 million Asean citizens.
He will attend the BRICS Summit as a partner country in the bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
Meanwhile, in a Facebook post, Anwar expressed hope that his series of meetings with leaders in Rome, Paris, and Rio de Janeiro will strengthen ties, boost trade and unlock new opportunities for the well-being of Malaysians and the wider ASEAN community.
“May each negotiation be eased and yield outcomes that can truly be felt by the broader public,” he said.
— Bernama
