ROME, July 2 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrived here yesterday for a three-day working visit to Italy, the third-largest economy in the European Union.
The aircraft carrying Anwar landed at Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport at 8.20pm local time.
On hand to welcome Anwar at the airport were Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Malaysia’s Ambassador to Italy Datuk Zahid Rastam, Italian Senior Ambassador for Protocol Affairs Fabrizio Romano, and former Italian Ambassador to Malaysia Massimo Rustico.
Anwar said he hoped the visit would strengthen Malaysia-Italy ties and deepen strategic cooperation, as well as to elevate Asean-EU engagement in a challenging global landscape.
“This visit, which came at the invitation of my counterpart, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, reflects our shared commitment to strengthening the long-standing bilateral relationship between Malaysia and Italy based on the principles and spirit of friendship, trust and mutual respect.
“Malaysia sees Italy as an important strategic partner in the European continent and we are committed to expanding cooperation in trade and investment, defence industry and the energy transition sector,” said Anwar.
With Malaysia as Asean chair, Anwar said, this visit will enhance the value of the relationship between the Southeast Asian bloc and Europe amid an increasingly challenging geopolitical and geoeconomic landscape.
“I am confident this visit will open a new chapter that is more dynamic, yielding concrete benefits and taking Malaysia-Italy relations to a new and higher level,” he added.
Anwar is accompanied by Mohamad; Transport Minister Anthony Loke; Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu; Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin; Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz; and Deputy Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.
Upon arrival, Anwar and his delegation attended a gathering with the Malaysian diaspora here.
Tomorrow, Anwar will join a bilateral meeting with Meloni at Chigi Palace. Ambassador Zahid said the meeting will provide an opportunity for the leaders to take stock of Malaysia-Italy relations and explore avenues to strengthen cooperation, particularly in the fields of economy, defence technology, and energy.
The leaders will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, including the Asean-Italy Development Partnership, Asean-European Union Dialogue Relations, and the situation in the Middle East. Anwar is also expected to highlight Malaysia’s priorities and Asean’s efforts in addressing regional and global challenges.
Today, he will officiate the Malaysia-Italy Economic Partnership Roundtable, which will gather Malaysian and Italian industry leaders to explore trade and investment collaborations.
During the business engagement event, Anwar is set to meet captains of industry from 36 Italian firms, including multinational companies such as Leonardo SpA, STMicroelectronics and Ferrero.
Italy is the third-largest national economy in the EU and the world’s eighth-largest by gross domestic product.
Anwar is also scheduled to meet leaders of the local Muslim community.
Malaysia and Italy enjoy long-standing and multifaceted relations, underpinned by strong economic ties, growing trade and investment, and people-to-people exchanges.
In 2024, total trade between Malaysia and Italy rose by 2 per cent from the previous year to RM14.61 billion. From January to May this year, total trade grew by 3.3 per cent on-year to RM6.5 billion.
Italy remains Malaysia’s fifth-largest trading partner and third-largest importer of Malaysian palm oil among EU members in 2024.
Upon concluding the Italy leg of his trip tomorrow, Anwar will leave for France.
— Bernama
