ISLAMABAD, Oct 4 – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said his visit to Pakistan proves the highest commitment among the top leaders of the two countries to improve relations covering various fields, ranging from diplomatic to economy.
According to Anwar, there is great potential in trade relations between the two countries that need to be pioneered involving several projects that will be worked on by both countries.
“The bilateral meeting between Malaysian and Pakistan offers positive returns, especially in improving the existing bilateral relationship, people relationship that has existed for hundreds of years as well as diplomatic relations between the two countries that have existed for a long time,” he told the Malaysian media at the end of his three-day state visit to Pakistan.
He said that there is a high level of seriousness among the leadership of the two countries to see bilateral relations between Malaysia and Pakistan grow by leaps and bounds after his visit to this South Asian country in various fields.
The Prime Minister admitted that bilateral trade between Malaysia and Pakistan has not been very encounraging with bilateral trade reaching only US$1.5 billion last year even though the two countries have established diplomatic relations since 1957.
The Prime Minister said the leaders of both countries had held serious discussions to increase cooperation in all areas of trade, agricultural technology including meat, rice and the import of palm oil by Pakistan.
Both countries, he said, will also expand cooperation in the area of skilled workers in the fields that are critical at the moment including the field of Artificial Intelligence (Artificial Intelligence), digital and semiconductor.
In addition, the leaders of both countries also discussed the special economic zone and cooperation in the field of defence.
Pakistan according to the Prime Minister has the potential to become a gateway for Malaysian companies that want to expand their markets in Central Asia and West Asia.
Anwar also said, in his meeting with his counterpart, Shehbaz Sharif, they also discussed the current situation in Afghanistan, where they hope for a level of change that can accept the country as a partner in international cooperation.
