PM Modi, Malaysia PM Anwar Ibrahim hold talks on defence, economy and ASEAN – top developments | India News

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a ceremonial welcome and Guard of Honour at the Perdana Putra building in Putrajaya on Sunday, marking a key moment in his two-day official visit to Malaysia. The reception followed his arrival in Kuala Lumpur a day earlier, when Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim personally welcomed him at the airport.The visit comes months after India and Malaysia elevated their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in August 2024. Bilateral talks between the two leaders are expected to focus on defence and security, economic cooperation, innovation, clean energy, semiconductors, and people-to-people ties, amid a shifting global and regional security landscape.

PM Modi was accorded a red-carpet welcome at Perdana Putra, the Malaysian Prime Minister’s office complex, accompanied by a Guard of Honour. The ceremony featured traditional music and dance performances, reflecting the shared cultural heritage between the two countries.Malaysian Minister of Human Resources Ramanan Ramakrishnan and Deputy Foreign Minister Lukanisman bin Awang Sauni were present at the reception.Reflecting on the welcome, PM Modi posted on X: “Deeply touched by the warm welcome extended by my friend, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the airport. I look forward to our conversations and to further strengthening the bonds of friendship between India and Malaysia.”

Following the arrival ceremony, PM Modi and PM Anwar Ibrahim travelled together in the same vehicle to attend an Indian community event in Kuala Lumpur. The Malaysian Prime Minister also participated in the programme.Sharing an update on X, PM Modi wrote, “Celebrating the India-Malaysia people-to-people connect! PM Anwar Ibrahim and I are heading to the community programme in Kuala Lumpur.”

The two leaders are scheduled to hold delegation-level talks on Sunday, with discussions expected to result in multiple agreements aimed at expanding cooperation across sectors.In his departure statement before the visit, PM Modi said: “The historic ties between India and Malaysia have seen steadfast progress in recent years. I look forward to my discussions with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and further enhancing our comprehensive strategic partnership.”“We will aim to deepen our defence and security ties, enhance our economic and innovation partnership, and expand our collaboration into new domains.”External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the visit carries a “rich agenda and will give a major boost to the special partnership between India and Malaysia”.“The visit is expected to impart significant momentum to our close & multi-faceted partnership,” he added.

During delegation-level talks, PM Modi underlined the growing depth of bilateral ties, saying: “I am fully experiencing the height and depth of this friendship, and for this, I am deeply grateful to you. It is my great fortune that as Prime Minister, I have had the opportunity to visit Malaysia for the third time, and our friendship is such that I am getting the opportunity to meet you for the fourth time during your tenure. This itself demonstrates our momentum and dynamism. The pace and depth that our bilateral relations have achieved in recent years are truly inspiring. I sincerely thank you for your invaluable contribution in this regard…”

Highlighting sectoral cooperation, PM Modi said: “Today, our cooperation is deepening in every sector, from agriculture and manufacturing to clean energy and semiconductors. We are also important partners in skill development and capacity building. Our defence and security cooperation is also continuously strengthening.”He also congratulated Malaysia on its ASEAN role, adding: “I once again congratulate you on your successful chairmanship of ASEAN. We are confident that with Malaysia’s cooperation, our relations with ASEAN will deepen and expand further.”

Diaspora a living bridge

Emphasising people-to-people ties, PM Modi said: “The true strength of our relationship lies in our people-to-people ties. The nearly 3 million Malaysian citizens of Indian origin are a living bridge between our two countries…”Referring to his interaction with the Indian diaspora, he added: “Yesterday, I also had the opportunity to meet with members of the diaspora with you. It was a very special experience, and I saw the personal respect and affection that the diaspora has for you, which was evident yesterday. I felt a sense of pride.”

PM Modi said cooperation between friendly nations was essential in the current global environment. “The support of friendly nations is crucial in our fight against terrorism. We firmly believe that the prosperity of India and Malaysia is intertwined. In this environment of global instability, it is essential for India and Malaysia, two maritime neighbours, to utilise the full potential of our relationship.”He added: “The core message of my visit today is very clear: India wants to work with Malaysia to take our relationship to a new level and expand cooperation in every possible area…”

What PM Modi said at the joint press statement

At the joint press interaction, Prime Minister Modi described India-Malaysia ties as unique and deeply rooted. “India-Malaysia relations are really special. We are maritime neighbours. For centuries, there have been deep ties between people of our two countries. Today, Malaysia is the second biggest nation in the world that has Indian origin population. Our civilisations are connected to shared cultural heritage and democratic values.” He said bilateral relations had gathered fresh momentum in recent years, crediting Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for his role in strengthening ties. “In the past few years, our relations have picked up a new pace. My friend, PM Anwar Ibrahim has had a special contribution towards this. Cooperation between us in energy, infrastructure and manufacturing has strengthened. Mutual investment in digital economy, biotech and IT has increased. Tourism and people-to-people ties have also deepened. Drawing inspiration from these achievements, we have decided to bring in unprecedented speed and depth in our partnership.“ PM Modi said Malaysia was a priority destination, marking it as his first foreign visit of 2026. “…Last year, I could not come to Malaysia for the ASEAN Summit, but I had promised my dear friend that I would visit Malaysia at the earliest. For my first foreign visit of 2026, I have come to Malaysia.” Outlining future areas of cooperation, PM Modi said security and emerging technologies would be key pillars. “In the security sector, we will strengthen cooperation in counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing and maritime security. We will also make defence cooperation more comprehensive. Along with AI and digital technologies, we will further advance our partnership in semiconductor, health and food security. The CEO forum organised today has thrown open new opportunities for trade and investment. We will pave a path to economic transformation through strategic trust.“

What Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim said at the joint press statement

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim praised India’s economic rise and said Malaysia stood to benefit by expanding cooperation with New Delhi, particularly within the ASEAN framework. “India is growing by leaps and bounds, which is one spectacular rise in the international economic trade scene and therefore Malaysia in the ASEAN context certainly benefits immensely if we could secure more ways and opportunities to collaborate with India to extending beyond the $18.59 billion that we achieved in 2025. One remarkable feat is this decision to use local currency as far as possible…” He stressed the importance of education and academic exchanges, noting India’s growing global standing in higher education. “Education remains pivotal. Many Malaysians were educated in India, and there is a growing number of Indian students in Malaysia too, but since the last decade or so under the premiership of my good friend Prime Minister Modi, you have seen the spectacular recognition of Indian centres of excellence in education. That’s not only comparable but many of them have achieved outstanding recognition beyond the known institutions in the West. Therefore, we would certainly explore this to increase the number of students in the disciplines and fields to study in India…” Anwar Ibrahim also flagged tourism and connectivity as priority areas, linking them to visa liberalisation and increased air links. “… Tourism and connectivity are areas that we will have to give more emphasis. We have seen this spectacular increase during the past year, and we hope to benefit from Malaysia Truly Asia and Incredible India through visa liberalisation and increase air connectivity. I have been to India several times and covered hundreds of places, and I still think that I have not covered India. It’s too huge, Prime Minister, and it’s an amazing country to visit, to learn the history, the culture, the arts, other than the new advancement in the technology...” On regional and global issues, he said discussions with PM Modi reflected trust and candour. “In terms of regional and international issues, I must express my appreciation because in my discussions with Prime Minister Modi, it is not just normal bias platitudes and diplomatic exchanges. It is an exchange between true friends, full of trust and understanding…” The Malaysian Prime Minister also praised PM Modi’s role in global peace efforts and announced support for opening a new Indian consulate. “I must also take this opportunity to express my regards and thanks to PM Modi for his firm commitment to support all peace efforts throughout the world, be it in Ukraine, Russia or in the case of the Middle East, particularly in Gaza, his commitment to support the peace process is unequivocal and certainly I must therefore express my appreciation. As a sign of our good relations, I immediately have agreed to support the decision of the Government of India to open a consulate of India in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah...”