Malaysia PM India Visit: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim at Hyderabad House in Delhi. The two leaders are expected to sign a number of agreements including one on recruitment of Indian workers.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister received his Malaysian counterpart Ibrahim, who is on a three-day visit to India, in a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan in the national capital.
During his India visit, Ibrahim has been accompanied by a high-level delegation. It is his first visit to India as the prime minister.
The Malasyian Prime Minister also paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi and laid a wreath at Delhi's Rajghat. He also signed the visitor's book at the Rajghat.
The decision to ink a pact on recruitment of Indian workers assumes significance as illegal immigration and human trafficking from India to Malaysia are among major concerns of the two governments. Meanwhile, Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim also met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in the national capital.
India Malaysia Ties
The overall ties between the two countries have been positive in the last few years. India's defence relations with Malaysia have gained momentum in recent years. The MoU on defence cooperation, signed in 1993, is the cornerstone of defence relations between the two countries.
In July last year, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Kuala Lumpur, during which both sides approved an amendment in the memorandum of understanding on India-Malaysia defence cooperation signed in 1993.
The defence ministry had said that the amendment will act as an "enabler" to expand bilateral defence cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
The trade ties between the two countries are also on an upward trajectory. Malaysia is India's 13th largest trade partner, and India is among Malaysia's 10 biggest trade partners.