RIYADH: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim held a bilateral meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Special Meeting, yesterday
In the meeting which lasted almost 30 minutes, the two leaders expressed their commitment to continue strengthening Putrajaya-Islamabad ties and boosting bilateral trade to another level.
The discussion also focused on efforts to explore investment opportunities and new cooperation in the fields of trade, education, defence, tourism and human resources.
Commenting further on the meeting with Muhammad Shehbaz, Anwar said that both of them expressed commitment to strengthening Malaysia-Pakistan cooperation and strategic partnership, including enhancing bilateral trade, which currently amounts to US$1.4 billion.
He said they also agreed to hold further discussions on efforts to expand cooperation in the halal industry and certification between the two countries, particularly through the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) and the Pakistan Halal Authority.
"Malaysia and Pakistan also aspire to further cooperation in the fields of education, defence, tourism and human resources.
"The discussion also touched on the chairmanship of ASEAN next year. Malaysia, through ASEAN, is open to exploring opportunities for ASEAN-Pakistan cooperation that can benefit countries in the region," he said.
Earlier, Anwar received a courtesy call from Turkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
In the 30-minute meeting, they exchanged views on current geopolitical issues in West Asia and Israeli atrocities in Gaza.
The two leaders also touched on bilateral cooperation between Malaysia and Turkiye, especially on investment, trade, defence and education.
Anwar is here to attend the two-day WEF Special Meeting themed "Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy for Development", which attracted more than 1,000 leaders, including heads of government and state as well as captains of industry. – BERNAMA