Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on January 10 said that Indonesia has pledged to assist and cooperate with Malaysia in its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025.
Anwar, who is also the Minister of Finance, said this was conveyed by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto during their closed-door meeting at a luncheon held in the Kuala Lumpur on the day.
Prabowo’s official visit is scheduled for January 27, but he felt the need to come earlier to discuss issues of mutual interests, including the enhancement of the trade-investment ties, border cooperation, and several emerging issues.
Earlier, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Prabowo’s visit reflects the special relationship between Malaysia and Indonesia, supported by strong cooperation in various fields including economy, socio-culture, defence, and security.
In 2023, Indonesia was Malaysia’s seventh-largest trading partner globally and the third-largest among ASEAN member countries, with a total trade value of 111.21 billion MYR (24.39 billion USD).
From January to October 2024, bilateral trade reached 95.50 billion MYR, compared to 94.37 billion MYR during the same period in 2023.
Malaysia officially assumed the ASEAN Chairmanship starting this month, with the theme of “Inclusivity and Sustainability”.
The country also held the ASEAN Chairmanship in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015./.
Malaysian PM hopes for enhanced ASEAN trade, investment
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim laid stress on the significance of cooperation within ASEAN while addressing at the Seoul National University on November 26.
