New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was given a ceremonial welcome and guard of honor at the Perdana Putra Complex in Putrajaya on Sunday, a key moment of his two-day official visit to Malaysia. The reception came after he arrived in Kuala Lumpur a day earlier, when Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim personally greeted him at the airport.The visit comes months after India and Malaysia upgraded their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in August 2024. Against the backdrop of the changing global and regional security landscape, the bilateral talks between the two leaders are expected to focus on defense and security, economic cooperation, innovation, clean energy, semiconductors and people-to-people relations.
Perdana Putra holds welcome ceremony
Prime Minister Modi was welcomed with a red carpet of honor by a guard of honor at the Malaysian Prime Minister’s Office, Perdana Putra. The ceremony featured traditional music and dance performances that reflected the two countries’ shared cultural heritage.Malaysian Human Resources Minister Ramanan and Deputy Foreign Minister Luca Nisman attended the reception.Prime Minister Modi reflected on the welcome on
Jointly promote the Indian community
After the arrival ceremony, Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim traveled together in the same vehicle to Kuala Lumpur to attend an Indian community event. The Prime Minister of Malaysia also participated in the program.Sharing the latest news about X, PM Modi wrote: “Celebrating the bond between the people of India and Malaysia! Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and I will be traveling to Kuala Lumpur for community programmes.”
Bilateral talks cover a broad agenda
The two leaders are scheduled to hold delegation-level talks on Sunday, with discussions expected to result in a number of agreements aimed at expanding cross-departmental cooperation.In his outgoing statement ahead of his visit, Prime Minister Modi said: “The historic relationship between India and Malaysia has grown steadily in recent years. I look forward to discussions with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to further strengthen our comprehensive strategic partnership.”“We aim to deepen our defense and security ties, strengthen our economic and innovation partnerships, and expand our cooperation into new areas.”Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the visit had a “rich agenda and will be a major boost to the special partnership between India and Malaysia”.“This visit is expected to inject significant impetus into our close and multifaceted partnership,” he added.
Delegation-level talks between Modi and Anwar
During the delegation-level talks, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the growing bilateral ties, saying: “I have fully experienced the height and depth of this friendship and for that, I am deeply grateful. As Prime Minister, I am honored to have the opportunity to visit Malaysia for the third time. Our friendship is so deep and this is the fourth time I have the opportunity to meet you during your term. This in itself reflects our drive and energy. The progress and depth of our bilateral relationship in recent years is truly encouraging. I sincerely thank you for your valuable contribution in this regard…”
Cooperation in key areas continues to expand
Highlighting sectoral cooperation, Prime Minister 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 skills development and capacity building. Our defense and security cooperation is also growing.”He also congratulated Malaysia on its role in ASEAN, adding: “I congratulate you once again on your successful assumption of the ASEAN Chair. We believe that with Malaysia’s cooperation, our relationship with ASEAN will be further deepened and expanded. “
The diaspora is a living bridge
Emphasizing on people-to-people ties, Prime Minister Modi said: “The real 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…”Talking about his interaction with the Indian diaspora, he added: “Yesterday, I also had the opportunity to meet the Indian diaspora with you. It was a very special experience and I saw the personal respect and affection the diaspora have for you, which was evident yesterday. I feel a sense of pride. “
Terrorism, global instability and shared prosperity
Prime Minister Modi said that in the current global environment, cooperation between friendly countries is crucial. “Support from friendly countries is critical in our fight against terrorism. We firmly believe that the prosperity of India and Malaysia is closely linked. In an environment of global instability, India and Malaysia, our two maritime neighbors, must harness 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 the next level and expand cooperation in every possible field…”
What Prime Minister Modi said in a joint press statement
During a joint press interaction, Prime Minister Modi described the India-Malaysia relationship as unique and deep-rooted.“India and Malaysia have a very special relationship. We are maritime neighbors. There has been a deep bond between our two peoples for centuries. Today, Malaysia is the second-largest country in the world with a population of Indian origin. Our civilization is bound up with a common cultural heritage and democratic values. “He said that bilateral relations have shown new momentum in recent years and praised Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for his role in strengthening relations.“Over the past few years, our relations have taken new steps. My friend Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has made a special contribution to this. Cooperation between the two sides has been continuously strengthened in the fields of energy, infrastructure, manufacturing and other fields. Mutual investment in digital economy, biotechnology, information technology and other fields has increased. Tourism and people-to-people ties are also deepening. Drawing inspiration from these achievements, we have decided to advance our partnership with unprecedented speed and depth.“Prime Minister Modi said that Malaysia is his priority destination and this will be his first overseas trip in 2026.“…I was not able to come to Malaysia to attend the ASEAN Summit last year, but I promised my dear friends that I would visit Malaysia as soon as possible. I will come to Malaysia for my first overseas trip in 2026.”Outlining future areas of cooperation, Prime Minister Modi said security and emerging technologies will be key pillars.“In the security field, we will strengthen cooperation in areas such as counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing, and maritime security. We will also promote more comprehensive defense cooperation. In addition to artificial intelligence and digital technologies, we will further advance our partnerships in semiconductors, health and food safety. Today’s CEO Forum brings new opportunities for trade and investment. We will create a path to economic transformation through strategic trust.“
Remarks by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in a joint press statement
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim praised India’s economic rise and said Malaysia would benefit from expanded cooperation with New Delhi, especially within the Asean framework.“India is growing by leaps and bounds, which is an amazing rise in the international economic and trade arena, so if we can get more ways and opportunities to cooperate with India, beyond the US$18.59 billion we achieve by 2025, Malaysia will definitely benefit a lot in the context of ASEAN. A remarkable feat is the decision to use local currency wherever possible…”He emphasized the importance of education and academic exchanges and pointed out India’s growing global standing in the field of higher education.“Education remains vital. Many Malaysians are educated in India and there are increasing numbers of Indian students in Malaysia, but since the last decade or so, under the leadership of my good friend Prime Minister Modi, you have seen an amazing level of recognition for India’s centers of excellence in education. Not only is it comparable, but many of these centers have received outstanding recognition beyond well-known institutions in the West. So we will definitely explore this to increase the number of students studying subjects and fields in India…”Anwar Ibrahim also identified tourism and connectivity as priority areas, linking them to visa liberalization and increased air links.“…tourism and connectivity are areas we must focus more on. We have seen this incredible growth over the past year and we hope to benefit from the true Asia of Malaysia and the incredible India through visa liberalization and increased air connectivity. I’ve been to India several times and visited hundreds of places, but I still don’t think I’ve traveled all over India. Prime Minister, this country is so big, it is an amazing country, worth visiting, learning about history, culture, art, in addition to new advancements in technology...”On regional and global issues, he said the discussions with Prime Minister Modi were a reflection of trust and candor.“On regional and international issues, I must express appreciation because in my discussions with Prime Minister Modi, it was not just the normal biased platitudes and diplomatic exchanges. This is an exchange between true friends, full of trust and understanding…”The Malaysian prime minister also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his role in global peace efforts and announced his support for opening a new Indian consulate.“I must also take this opportunity to express my greetings and gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his strong commitment to support all peace efforts around the world, whether in Ukraine, Russia or in the Middle East, especially in Gaza. His commitment to supporting the peace process is clear, so of course I must express my appreciation. As a sign of our excellent relations, I immediately agreed to support the Indian government’s decision to open an Indian Consulate in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah...”
