Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will pay an official visit to the Philippines from March 1-2, his maiden visit to the Philippines after being swon-in as the 10th Prime Minister, said a statement released by Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the statement, the Malaysian PM will meet the Philippines’ President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr and is expected to discuss various bilateral matters such as security cooperation, Halal industry collaboration, and digital economy cooperation.

PM Anwar Ibrahim will deliver a Public Lecture titled "30 Years after Asian Renaissance: Strategic Takeaways for ASEAN" at the University of Philippines and hold an engagement session with the Malaysian diaspora in the Philippines.

The visit reflects the importance of good ties between Malaysia and the Philippines as close neighbours and partners in ASEAN, said the statement, adding that it will provide an excellent opportunity for both sides to advance the partnership for progress, guided by shared interest, increased political and economic cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges.

The Philippines is the fifth country that PM Anwar Ibrahim has chosen for his trips abroad after Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore and Thailand. The Malaysian PM is scheduled to visit Cambodia in late March.

According to local media of Malaysia, in 2022, the Philippines was Malaysia's 15th largest trading partner globally and the 5th largest among the ASEAN member states, with total trade amounting to 41.45 billion RM (9.42 billion USD), an increase of 20.1% compared to the recorded value in 2021./.
VNA