LONDON: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrived in the United Kingdom (UK) capital today for a five-day working visit to Malaysia’s fourth largest trading partner among European Union member countries.
The aircraft carrying the prime minister landed at the Stansted Airport here at 10.50 pm local time Tuesday (6.50 am Wednesday, Malaysia time) from Abu Dhabi, where the premier had just concluded his three-day visit to the United Arab Emirates.
On hand to welcome the Prime Minister at the airport were Malaysian High Commissioner to the UK and Northern Ireland Datuk Zakri Jaafar and Defence Attaché Datuk Brig Gen Safwan @ Asri Ismail, as well as British Foreign Secretary’s Special Representative Richard Wildash and Chargé d’Affaires at the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, David Wallace.
This visit, which is at the invitation of his UK counterpart, Keir Starmer, marks Anwar’s first visit to the UK since taking office in November 2022.
During the visit, Anwar will be accompanied by Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Minister of Higher Education Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and Minister of Plantation and Commodities Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
On Wednesday, Anwar is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Starmer to review the progress of Malaysia-UK bilateral relations and discuss efforts to strengthen collaboration in trade and investment.
The two leaders are also expected to discuss matters related to higher education, climate change and renewable energy, agricommodity and tourism, among others.
Both Prime Ministers are also expected to touch on regional and international issues and exchange views on ASEAN-UK Dialogue Relations.
According to Zakri, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, Anwar will also highlight Malaysia’s priorities and ASEAN’s efforts in addressing regional and global challenges.
During his stay in London, the Prime Minister’s schedule includes a meeting with the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, as well as delivering a keynote address at InvestMalaysia.
Anwar will also host a roundtable and one-on-one business sessions with industry leaders, and officiate the Malaysia Auditorium at the London School of Economics (LSE) before giving a special lecture.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the Malaysia-UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee and other Supporting Mechanisms (MUKJETCO) will also be signed during the visit.
Anwar is also scheduled to attend the launch of a solar farm project by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) Malaysia, a product launch by YTL Group UK, and visit the Battersea Power Station, Malaysia’s largest investment involving public funds in Europe.
According to a statement from the Foreign Ministry, the visit to the UK underscores the strong ties between both countries and provides an opportunity for both nations to enhance bilateral cooperation for mutual benefit.
Trade and investment remain key pillars of Malaysia-UK relations, with the UK being Malaysia’s fourth largest trading partner among European countries, with total trade amounting to RM15.30 billion (US$3.34 billion).
Total exports were recorded at RM7.83 billion (US$1.71 billion), while total imports stood at RM7.47 billion (US$1.63 billion) compared to the corresponding period in 2023.
On Jan 19, the Prime Minister will depart for Brussels to continue his international engagements.
