Kuala Lumpur [Malaysia], February 8 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Malaysia has assumed added significance as it comes nearly a decade after his last official visit, reflecting the steady expansion and deepening of India-Malaysia relations.

Speaking on the Prime Minister's visit, Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (East) Periasamy Kumaran said the visit follows PM Modi's previous official trip to Malaysia in 2015, when bilateral relations were elevated to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership.

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"This visit is significant as it comes nearly a decade after Prime Minister's previous official visit to Malaysia in 2015. During that visit, India-Malaysia bilateral relations were elevated to an enhanced strategic partnership," he said.

Highlighting developments since then, Kumaran said the relationship gained renewed momentum in 2024 with the visit of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to India.

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"In 2024, we had the pleasure of welcoming Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to India. The visit gave renewed momentum to our bilateral cooperation, and our bilateral partnership was elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership," he said.

Referring to the reception accorded to the Prime Minister, Kumaran said PM Modi was greeted with vibrant cultural performances on arrival.

"PM Modi was greeted with vibrant cultural performances at the airport and also at the place of stay," he said.

Kumaran added that both leaders jointly engaged with the Indian diaspora during the visit.

"The two Prime Ministers travelled together to the MINES International Exhibition and Convention Centre, where they addressed a large gathering of the Indian community, comprising students, professionals, business persons, and members of various Indian cultural associations, among others," he said.

Detailing the cultural elements of the engagement, Kumaran said the programme featured an exhibition on the history of the Indian community in Malaysia, along with performances by about 800 local artists.

"The program included an exhibition on the history of the Indian community in Malaysia and spectacular performances by about 800 local artists showcasing the richness of our shared heritage," he said.

He also noted the scale of participation, saying, "I also understand that the number of artists who performed at a single place showcasing Indian dances also entered the Malaysian Book of Records."

Against this backdrop of strong people-to-people ties, India and Malaysia on Sunday unveiled a series of initiatives to deepen cooperation in defence and security, semiconductors and trade, following PM Modi's official state visit, during which he held wide-ranging discussions with Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

PM Modi arrived in Kuala Lumpur on February 7 and was accorded a grand red-carpet reception by PM Ibrahim.

He later received a ceremonial welcome at Perdana Putra on Sunday morning, marking the start of official engagements.

Addressing the media, PM Modi underlined the historical and cultural foundations of the relationship.

"India and Malaysia share a special relationship. We are maritime neighbours. For centuries, our people have had deep and affectionate ties. Today, Malaysia is the second largest country in the world with a population of Indian origin. Our civilisations, shared cultural heritage, and democratic values bind us together," he said.

PM Ibrahim hosted an official luncheon in honour of PM Modi, after which the two leaders oversaw the exchange of multiple bilateral documents aimed at strengthening institutional collaboration.

Placing the partnership in a regional context, PM Modi said, "The Indo-Pacific region is emerging as the growth engine of the world," reaffirming India's commitment to development, peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific alongside ASEAN.

He outlined plans to deepen cooperation in counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing and maritime security, while making defence ties more comprehensive.

"Along with AI and digital technologies, we will advance partnerships in semiconductors, health, and food security," PM Modi added.

The visit took place at the invitation of PM Ibrahim. India and Malaysia established diplomatic relations in 1957, which were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in August 2024.

Among the key initiatives announced during the visit was the establishment of an Indian Consulate General in Malaysia.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, the move will improve access to consular and passport services, strengthen outreach to the Indian diaspora, enhance commercial engagement and provide greater support for Indians in Malaysia.

The two sides also agreed on cross-border payments cooperation between NPCI International Payments Ltd and Malaysia's PAYNET SDN BHD, enabling UPI-based transactions for tourists and smoother payments for the diaspora, while reducing dependence on cash and supporting Indian fintech firms.

An audio-visual co-production agreement was signed between the two governments to facilitate joint film production, strengthen cultural ties, enable pooling of audiovisual resources and showcase Indian culture, Jaiswal said.

India and Malaysia also signed another MoU on cooperation in disaster management, covering recovery, rehabilitation and rescue operations, exchange of knowledge and best practices, and enhancement of disaster response capabilities.

An MoU on cooperation in combating and preventing corruption was concluded between the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and India's Central Bureau of Investigation, facilitating exchange of knowledge on corruption prevention and detection, dialogue, awareness and greater transparency in governance.

The two governments exchanged letters on cooperation in United Nations peacekeeping to promote peace, security and stability, and exchanged notes on cooperation in semiconductors to build capabilities, enhance competitiveness, create employment opportunities and strengthen resilient supply chains.

Malaysia also joined India's International Big Cats Alliance through a framework agreement aimed at strengthening global conservation efforts and supporting wildlife and environmental protection.

A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between India's Employees' State Insurance Corporation and Malaysia's Social Security Organisation on social security programmes for Indian citizens working in Malaysia, aimed at improving health, safety and welfare and facilitating expeditious benefit payments.

The two sides further exchanged notes on cooperation in vocational education and training, focusing on information exchange, expertise sharing, capacity building, institutional linkages, youth development and employability enhancement.

Additional exchanges covered security cooperation between the National Security Council Secretariat of India and the National Security Council of Malaysia to address new and emerging threats, as well as cooperation in health and medicine to improve service delivery, capacity building of healthcare providers, exchange of best practices and research collaboration.

The report of the 10th Malaysia-India CEO Forum was presented with the objective of strengthening economic partnership, boosting trade and investment, enhancing technology collaboration and generating employment opportunities.

Further announcements included the establishment of a dedicated Thiruvalluvar Centre at Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur to promote research in arts, culture, leadership and management, along with academic exchanges and knowledge sharing, and the institution of Thiruvalluvar Scholarships for Malaysian nationals to enable studies in Indian institutions and foster student and faculty exchanges.

An MoU was also signed between the University of Cyberjaya and India's Institute of Training and Research in Ayurveda to promote collaboration in traditional medicine, expert capacity building, holistic healthcare access and research facilitation.

These outcomes reflect the growing momentum in India-Malaysia ties across strategic, economic and cultural domains. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)