
Anwar set for maiden three-day visit to Italy to boost ties
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, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister 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.
Asean and Global Outlook
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 per cent 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 per cent 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.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
U.S. trade policy remains concerning for Malaysia's technology sector: analysts
KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 (Xinhua) -- While global semiconductor sales for 2025 are expected to continue to grow, analysts remained cautious about outlook for Malaysia's technology sector due to prevailing uncertainties surrounding U.S. trade policy. TA Securities said in its recent note that should the U.S. implement sector-specific tariffs on semiconductor imports, it could materially impact end-market demand and Malaysian technology corporate earnings. According to the research house, heading into the second half, there are three major factors that could potentially influence the sector's earnings, U.S. policies; global semiconductor sales; progress of Malaysia's National Semiconductor Strategy. "Should the U.S. administration proceed with imposing tariffs on semiconductor imports, it could severely disrupt the global supply chain and dampen end-user demand," the research house said. Hence, it believed the policy risk will likely persist in the coming months, potentially leading to delays in orders and capital expenditure plans as corporates adopt a more conservative approach in response to the lack of policy visibility. Meanwhile, TA Securities noted that the global semiconductor market was still undergoing an upcycle, with positive momentum expected to continue into the second half.


New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
PM directs embassy to assist stranded Malaysian in Milan
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has requested the Malaysian Embassy in Italy to immediately assist Dalila Zaidi, a Malaysian citizen stranded in Milan after her passport was stolen. He said the Foreign Ministry has also been alerted to ensure appropriate action is taken to resolve the matter. Anwar was responding to a post by Dalila on X, in which she appealed for help after losing her passport. "Salam PMX @anwaribrahim, my name is Dalila Zaidi and I'm a Malaysian currently stranded in Milan after my passport was stolen in the afternoon yesterday, 30 June 2025 near Santa Sofia station...I truly appreciate your attention to this," she wrote. In her post, Dalila claimed she had attempted to obtain an Emergency Travel Document from the Malaysian Embassy in Rome, but was informed that it was not possible due to the absence of an authorised officer to sign the necessary documents. The Prime Minister will be in Italy for a three-day official visit from July 1 to 3, at the invitation of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. - BERNAMA


Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Hajiji's aide files police report over ‘malicious' claims by businessman
Mazlan Joehari Manan (left), who is Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor's special officer, lodged the report at the Tanjung Aru police station today. (Mazlan Joehari Manan pic) PETALING JAYA : An aide to Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor has lodged a police report against a businessman for appearing to implicate the state leader in an alleged mining scandal. Mazlan Joehari Manan, who is Hajiji's special officer, lodged the report at the Tanjung Aru police station over statements made in a press conference given by Albert Tei outside the Kota Kinabalu court complex yesterday. In his report, Mazlan claimed that Tei's allegedly defamatory and baseless claims were later published on the Facebook page 'INFO X'. Tei was reported to have questioned why only a few people were charged in connection with the alleged mining scandal when the case implicated several 'big sharks'. Mazlan claimed Tei also implied that there was special treatment in the judicial process and questioned the delay in charges against other elected representatives. At the same press conference, Tei claimed he feared for his life, suggesting that there were efforts to silence him. 'These are serious accusations and amount to a grave and malicious attack on the chief minister,' Mazlan said. He said Tei made these remarks despite facing ongoing court proceedings, accusing him of attempting to influence public perception and create a 'trial by media'. Mazlan urged police to take action under Sections 500 and 504 of the Penal Code, Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act, and Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act. Yesterday, Tei was charged with two counts of giving bribes totalling RM350,000 related to mineral prospecting licence applications in the state. Sindumin assemblyman Dr Yusuf Yacob and Tanjung Batu assemblyman Andi Suryady Bandy, meanwhile, were charged with receiving RM200,000 and RM150,000, respectively. All three pleaded not guilty before judge Jason Juga at the special corruption court in Kota Kinabalu.