PM Anwar's first working visit to Italy from July 1-3
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to undertake a three-day working visit to Italy, his first to the country, according to a statement from Wisma Putra.
The statement said that the visit, from July 1 to 3, is at the invitation of his counterpart, Giorgia Meloni.
He will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
According to Wisma Putra, during the visit, the Prime Minister is slated to hold a bilateral meeting with Meloni at the Chigi Palace in Rome on July 3.
'This meeting provides an opportunity for both leaders to assess the progress of Malaysia-Italy relations and explore new cooperation opportunities, especially in the fields of economy, defence technology, and energy,' the statement read.
Both parties will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, including the ASEAN-Italy Development Partner Relations, ASEAN-European Union Dialogue Relations, and the situation in the Middle East.
'The Prime Minister will also outline Malaysia's priorities during its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025 and ASEAN's efforts in addressing regional and global challenges,' it added.
Wisma Putra informed that the Prime Minister is also scheduled to officiate the 'Malaysia-Italy Economic Partnership Roundtable,' which will be attended by Malaysian and Italian industry leaders to discuss cooperation opportunities in bilateral investment and trade on July 2.
Additionally, Anwar is slated to attend a meeting with Muslim community leaders in Italy and a get-together with the Malaysian diaspora.
The long-standing bilateral relationship between Malaysia and Italy is strong and mutually beneficial, supported by continuous growth in trade and investment, as well as people-to-people connectivity.
Last year, total trade between Malaysia and Italy recorded a two percent increase to RM14.61 billion (US$3.18 billion) compared to 2023. For the period of January to May this year, total trade continued to show positive performance with a 3.3 percent increase to RM6.50 billion (US$1.48 billion) compared to the same period in 2024.
Italy is Malaysia's fifth-largest trading partner among European Union countries and the third-largest importer of Malaysian palm oil from the bloc for 2024.
After concluding his visit to Italy, the Prime Minister is expected to depart for France for a two-day official visit starting July 3.
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The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. In the past year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now. These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.
