Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday called on Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Following the meeting, Ibrahim, who is visiting India for the first time after becoming PM in 2022, said that he exchanged views on various issues in both the countries with his “good friend” Rahul Gandhi.
“I had the opportunity to meet with the Leader of the Opposition in the Indian Parliament, Rahul Gandhi who is also my good friend.During the meeting, we exchanged views on a broad range of issues including the political situation in both countries as well as the latest happenings in the region,” the Malaysian PM posted on X.
Berkesempatan bertemu Ketua Pembangkang Parlimen India, Rahul Gandhi yang juga sahabat baik saya awal pagi tadi.
Dalam pertemuan singkat ini, kami bertukar pandangan terkait situasi politik kedua-dua negara selain membincangkan isu-isu mutakhir yang berlaku di rantau ini.… pic.twitter.com/Lvyfxa1PUL
— Anwar Ibrahim (@anwaribrahim) August 21, 2024
Ibrahim began his three-day visit to India on Monday night. In an exclusive interview with India Today, he also described the Gandhis as “family friends” and said that he told Rahul Gandhi about the “need to engage all sides since India is an important partner”.
Earlier today, he also met BJP president and Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda. The two leaders agreed to strengthen relations between the Bharatiya Janata Party and People’s Justice Party (Malaysian PM’s party) by facilitating exchange visits of their members.
In a statement, the BJP foreign affairs department, headed by Vijay Chauthaiwale, said the meeting was part of the ‘Know BJP’ initiative, which was launched by the saffron party for diplomats and foreign leaders.
“During the meeting, the leaders reflected on the significant progress in bilateral relations between India and Malaysia over the past decade, it said, adding that they discussed the potential for further collaboration, particularly in the fields of education, employment, and ayurveda,” BJP’s statement read.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Malaysian counterpart on Tuesday in a bid to elevate ties between India and Malaysia. They held extensive talks aimed at resetting the relations that were strained during the tenure of former Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad.
“Today, we have decided that our partnership will be elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” Modi stated in his media statement.
A pact for promoting the recruitment of Indian workers in Malaysia and protection of their interests was one of the eight MoUs and agreements exchanged between the two sides in New Delhi.
