PUTRAJAYA – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will undertake a working visit to Malaysia today and tomorrow, marking his first visit to the country since his appointment as Japan’s prime minister in October 2021.
Wisma Putra in a statement today said Kishida is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with his Malaysian counterpart Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim where both leaders are expected to review the progress of bilateral relations.
They are expected to look into the cooperation in trade and investment, education, defence, environment and energy security, as well as information and communication, apart from exchanging views on various regional and international issues of common interest including the Palestine-Israel conflict.
“The working visit is poised to further strengthen the already established good relations between the two countries. As Japan continues its vital role as Asean dialogue partner, this visit holds special significance as it coincides with the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Asean-Japan Friendship and Cooperation this year,” said the statement.
The meeting will be followed by a luncheon hosted by Anwar in honour of Kishida.
The leaders will also witness the exchange of a memorandum of cooperation in the field of information and communications between the two countries’ respective communications ministries.
For eight successive years since 2015, Japan has been Malaysia’s fourth largest trading partner. In 2022, trade with Japan was valued at RM181.51 billion, contributing 6.4% of Malaysia’s total trade.
As of June 2023, a total of 2,778 projects by Japanese companies have been implemented in Malaysia, with investments amounting to RM91.89 billion. – November 4, 2023