By Katrina Gracia Consebido
Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim arrived in the Philippines Wednesday afternoon, March 1, for an official working visit in the country until Thursday, March 2.
“I am here to meet Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and also members of the Philippine government in order to streamline and strengthen the close relations between the two countries, in addition to exploring opportunities for closer cooperation between the two countries,” Ibrahim said in a Twitter post.
Saya di sini bagi bertemu Presiden Filipina Ferdinand Marcos Jr. dan juga anggota kerajaan Filipina dalam rangka memperkemas serta memperkukuh hubungan akrab kedua-dua negara, selain meneroka peluang kerjasama yang lebih erat antara kedua-dua negara.
— Anwar Ibrahim (@anwaribrahim) March 1, 2023
Ibrahim and Marcos will have a bilateral meeting and discuss various issues including security cooperation, halal industry collaboration, and digital economy cooperation.
“The visit reflects the importance of good ties between Malaysia and the Philippines as close neighbors and partners in [Association of Southeast Asian Nations],” Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
“It will provide an excellent opportunity for both sides to advance the partnership for progress, guided by shared interest, increased political and economic cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges,” it added.
Ibrahim is the first leader to visit the Philippines under the Marcos administration.
READ MORE: Malaysian PM Ibrahim to visit PH
