The bilateral Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) between Malaysia’s Zambry Abdul Kadir and India’s S Jaishankar, who co-chaired the meeting, focused on potential areas of collaboration between the two countries, including fintech, semiconductors, and digital.
After a 12-year break, the JCM reassembled, with Jaishankar emphasising in his opening speech the value of the mechanism in assessing the two sides’ relationship. The 2011 JCM took place in Kuala Lumpur.
“At this point, Malaysia is one of our most important strategic allies. You are our third-largest [trade partner] in Asean, and we are among your top 10 trading partners, he remarked.
According to him, there is also a chance to investigate novel fields such as digital, semiconductors, renewable energy, and space. “We have always valued your support for our larger relationship with the Asean,” he added.
Kadir, who is visiting India for the first time in his capacity as foreign minister, said in his opening remarks that the two sides would explore “more areas of cooperation and collaboration for now and the future”.
After the meeting, Jaishankar posted on X that the two sides had reviewed progress in their cooperation in defence, security, trade, health, energy, education, tourism and people-to-people ties.
“Also shared perspectives on the Indo-Pacific, ASEAN, West Asia and other regional and global issues,” he added.
The two foreign ministers attended the signing of an agreement on cooperation in diplomat training between Malaysia’s Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations and the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service, as well as a memorandum of understanding for cooperation between Prasar Bharti and Radio Television Malaysia (RTM).
Additionally, Kadir spoke with Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar about measures to strengthen their bilateral relationship.
In 2022, India and Malaysia celebrated 65 years of diplomatic relations. In 2015, the relationship was upgraded to an enhanced strategic partnership, and in 2017, a collaboration plan was released by both parties.
According to a statement from the external affairs ministry, Kadir’s visit provided an opportunity to “comprehensively review bilateral relations and to explore ways to further deepen and strengthen them.”
India ranked as Malaysia’s eleventh-largest trading partner in 2022, with a total trade value of $19.63 billion, up 23.6% from the previous year.
Stay Update with FELA NEWS|
Source: HT
