KUALA LUMPUR, July 1— Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is set to meet captains of industry from 36 Italian firms, including multinational companies such as Leonardo SpA, STMicroelectronics and Ferrero during his maiden working visit to Rome, Italy on July 1.
The meeting will take place during the Malaysia-Italy Economic Partnership Roundtable on July 2, Malaysian Ambassador to Italy, Datuk Zahid Rastam said.
“In addition to the 36 Italian companies and several industry associations here, Malaysian companies accompanying the Prime Minister will also be in attendance,” he said in a virtual briefing here ahead of the three-day working visit.
Leonardo specialises in aerospace, defence and security, STMicroelectronics is a semiconductor company, while Ferrero is one of the world’s largest sweet-packaged food companies.
All three MNCs have a significant presence in Malaysia.
“Additionally, there will be Italian companies looking to further engage, invest, and explore opportunities for collaboration with Malaysia,” Zahid Rastam said.
Italy is the third-largest national economy in the European Union (EU) and the world’s eighth-largest by gross domestic product (GDP). Its economy accounts for about 12 per cent of the EU’s GDP.
Besides the business meeting, Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, is also set to discuss bilateral cooperation on trade, investment, defence, agro-commodity and digital economy with his counterpart Giorgia Meloni.
Anwar’s visit is at the invitation of Meloni.
They are also expected to touch on the Malaysia-EU Free Trade Agreement (MEUFTA).
The first round of negotiations for a new and comprehensive FTA between the EU and Malaysia has been scheduled in Brussels, Belgium, from June 30 to July 4, 2025.
Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said in January that MEUFTA was expected to be concluded in 2026.
The EU is Malaysia’s fourth-largest trading partner after China, Singapore and the United States. It accounted for 9.5 per cent of Malaysia’s total trade in goods in 2023.
