Anwar to Meet Industry Leaders from 36 Companies in Italy

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is set to meet industry leaders from 36 Italian companies — including multinational corporations (MNCs) such as Leonardo SpA, STMicroelectronics, and Ferrero — during his inaugural working visit to Rome, Italy.

The meeting will take place during the Malaysia-Italy Economic Partnership Roundtable Conference on July 2, said Malaysia’s Ambassador to Italy, Datuk Zahid Rastam, during a virtual media briefing today.

“In addition to the 36 Italian companies and several industry associations here, the meeting will also be attended by Malaysian companies accompanying the Prime Minister,” he said.

Leonardo SpA is primarily involved in aerospace, defense, and security; STMicroelectronics specializes in semiconductors; and Ferrero is one of the world’s largest chocolate and confectionery producers.

All three MNCs have a strong presence in Malaysia.

“Additionally, there are Italian companies that are keen to continue investing and exploring collaboration opportunities with Malaysia,” Zahid said ahead of the Prime Minister’s three-day official visit to Italy starting July 1, 2025.

This will be Anwar’s first official visit to Italy as Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. Italy is the third-largest economy in the European Union (EU) and the eighth-largest globally by nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Italy’s economy contributes about 12 percent to the EU’s total GDP.

Aside from business meetings, the Prime Minister is also scheduled to hold discussions with his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, covering bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, defense, agro-commodities, and the digital economy.

The visit is being made at the invitation of Meloni.

Both leaders are also expected to touch on the Malaysia-European Union Free Trade Agreement (MEUFTA).

The first round of negotiations for a new and comprehensive FTA between the EU and Malaysia is scheduled to take place in Brussels, Belgium, from June 30 to July 4, 2025.

Previously, in January, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said the MEUFTA is expected to be finalized by 2026.

The EU is Malaysia’s fourth-largest trading partner (after China, Singapore, and the US), accounting for 9.5 percent of the country’s total trade in goods in 2023.

In 2023, Malaysia was the EU’s third-largest trading partner in the ASEAN region (after Singapore and Vietnam).