MALAYSIA APPRECIATES PAKISTAN’S CONTRIBUTIONS, SEEKS TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN TIES

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 6 (Bernama) -- Malaysia appreciates the contributions of Pakistan’s professionals, workers and students in the country, which have helped strengthen relations between the two nations, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

In a joint press conference with Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif here today, Anwar said that the government also values the presence of Pakistanis working and studying in Malaysia.

“We will give preference for them to stay and contribute here,” he said.

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Anwar said Malaysia and Pakistan have shared close ties since Malaysia’s independence in 1957, with cooperation in areas such as education, culture, defence and the economy.

He said both countries are also looking to explore new areas of collaboration, including in defence, agriculture; the digital economy; energy and technology-related fields such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); information and communication technology (ICT); innovation; Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), electrical and engineering (E&E) and semiconductors.

“Our joint aspiration is that we need to further enhance this collaboration in all fields. We are in a period of geopolitical uncertainties, so in the field of defence, agriculture, now digital, energy, and new technology are new areas, which we can further explore,” he said.

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Anwar and Shehbaz also exchanged views on regional and international issues, including peace efforts in the India-Pakistan subcontinent and cooperation in combating terrorism.

Anwar said that with political stability restored in Malaysia, the government is ready to strengthen cooperation with Pakistan more effectively in the future.

Earlier, Shehbaz, who is on a three-day official visit to Malaysia, was accorded an official welcome ceremony at the Perdana Putra Complex.

Shehbaz’s visit to Malaysia is at the invitation of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and serves as a reciprocal gesture to Anwar’s official visit to Pakistan in October 2024, reflecting the deepening ties between the two nations.

Following the elevation of bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership in March 2019, Malaysia and Pakistan, which established diplomatic ties in 1957, recorded total trade of RM8.07 billion (USD1.76 billion) in 2024, marking a 25.5 per cent increase from the previous year. 

-- BERNAMA