RIO DE JANEIRO, July 5 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrived here today to attend the BRICS Leaders’ Summit.
The aircraft carrying Anwar and his delegation landed at the Galeão Air Force Base at 5.41am local time after a 12-hour flight from Paris, after Anwar completed his two-day official visit to France.
Anwar was received by Malaysia’s acting head of mission in Brasilia Datuk Mohammad Ali Selamat and Brazil Foreign Minister Laudemar Gonçalves de Aguiar Neto, as well as other Brazilian officials.
Anwar, who is also finance minister, visited the country at the invitation of Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
He is accompanied by Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Transport Minister Anthony Loke, Miri MP Chiew Choon Man, and Paya Besar MP Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah.
Malaysia is participating in the BRICS Leaders’ Summit as a BRICS partner and Asean chair.
The summit will mark the first gathering of BRICS member and partner heads.
Malaysia attained BRICS partner status on January 1.
Hours after arriving in the coastal city, Anwar will speak at the BRICS Business Forum, alongside Lula.
On Monday, Anwar will deliver Malaysia’s statements during the “Strengthening Multilateralism, Economic-Financial Affairs, and Artificial Intelligence” and “Environment, COP30 and Global Health” sessions.
The intervention reflects Malaysia’s steadfast commitment to strengthening multilateralism and amplifying the voice and interests of developing countries.
In its capacity as Asean chair, Malaysia will promote stronger engagement between Asean and BRICS, with the aim of advancing regional cooperation, deepening economic partnerships, and contributing to collective efforts toward a more equitable and sustainable global economy.
During his three-day stay here, Anwar will hold bilateral meetings with his BRICS member and partner counterparts.
He is also set to engage with Brazilian and Malaysian companies.
BRICS, which serves as a political and diplomatic coordination forum for countries of the Global South and collaboration across diverse sectors, was initially established by Brazil, Russia, India and China.
It expanded with the inclusion of South Africa in 2011, followed by Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in 2023, and Indonesia in 2024.
Malaysia, as well as Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Nigeria, Thailand, Vietnam, Uganda and Uzbekistan, are BRICS partners.
— Bernama
