ANWAR HOSTS LUNCHEON FOR MALDIVES PRESIDENT, WITNESSES MOU EXCHANGE TO BOOST TIES

PUTRAJAYA, April 28 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today hosted an official luncheon in honour of visiting Maldives President Dr Mohamed Muizzu at the Seri Perdana Complex here.

Muizzu and his delegation, who arrived in Malaysia yesterday for a four-day official visit, were welcomed at the Prime Minister’s official residence at 11.25 am.

Upon arrival, Muizzu was greeted with a cheerful "Welcome to Malaysia" from 70 schoolchildren of Sekolah Kebangsaan Presint 9(2).

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Also present were Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, and Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.

The luncheon followed a bilateral meeting, which took stock of Malaysia-Maldives relations, particularly in trade and investment, the halal industry, education, tourism, and youth and sports.

The two leaders also witnessed the exchange of three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and two Exchanges of Notes (EoNs) related to tourism, sports cooperation, and health.

Anwar and Muizzu are later scheduled to depart for the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre to attend the Maldives-Malaysia Business Forum.

In 2024, Malaysia’s total trade with Maldives increased by 4.3 per cent to RM862.7 million (US$189 million) from RM827.3 million (US$180.9 million) in 2023, making the archipelagic state Malaysia’s sixth-largest trading partner among South Asian countries.

-- BERNAMA