PM Anwar begins visit to three countries
The chartered flight from Malaysia Airlines carrying the premier and the Malaysian delegation departed the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 2.15 pm.
This series of visits by the Prime Minister, 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 (USD11.14 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.
According to Malaysia's Ambassador to Italy, Datuk Zahid Rastam, 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, namely 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 Abdul Aziz.
Also part of the delegation is Deputy Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.
In Paris, the Prime Minister 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, the Prime Minister 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 be in Rio de Janeiro to attend the 17th BRICS Summit upon invitation from 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.
Anwar will attend the BRICS Summit as a partner country in the bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. — BERNAMA
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