Anwar Holds Bilateral Meeting with Modi at BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro

RIO DE JANEIRO||July 6 (Voice of Malaysia) – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim met with his Indian counterpart, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday in Rio de Janeiro (early Monday morning in Malaysia) on the sidelines of the 17th BRICS Leaders’ Summit.

The meeting marked a continuation of ongoing bilateral engagement between the two leaders, who last met during the 21st ASEAN-India Summit held in Laos in 2023. Also present at that meeting was Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar.

Malaysia and India maintain strong diplomatic and economic ties, with Malaysia ranking as India’s third-largest trading partner within the ASEAN region. Bilateral trade between the two countries reached RM85.26 billion (USD20.02 billion) during the 2023–2024 period, accounting for approximately 17 percent of India’s total trade with ASEAN.

Prime Minister Anwar is currently in Brazil to attend the BRICS Summit at the official invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The summit brings together leaders from across the Global South to discuss enhanced cooperation in areas such as trade, technology, digital governance, and geopolitical coordination.

Malaysia officially joined BRICS as a Partner Country on January 1, 2025, marking a significant step in strengthening its engagement with emerging global powers.

The Anwar-Modi meeting is expected to further deepen strategic cooperation, particularly in sectors such as trade, technology, infrastructure, and digital development.