LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is committed to building closer relations with Malaysia and Asean, saying he is focused on shared cooperation.
Welcoming Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to his office at 10 Downing Street here yesterday, he pledged the United Kingdom’s support for Malaysia’s chairmanship of Asean this year and said he was especially pleased to be meeting the Malaysian Prime Minister at this time.
“Can I extend a warm welcome to you here at Downing Street? To have this opportunity for a meeting just six months into my premiership, it was really important for me.
“Our modern and dynamic partnership is underpinned by areas of shared cooperation, from trade and investment to education, and our ties are stronger than ever,” Starmer said in his welcoming remarks, Bernama reported.
He described the United Kingdom as a great place to do business, adding that he was pleased Malaysian companies continued to invest in the country.
“As a dialogue partner to Asean, the UK supports Malaysia’s 2025 Asean chairmanship. We are committed to building a strong UK-Asean partnership, underpinned by our respect for Asean’s role in maintaining a prosperous, peaceful Indo-Pacific.
“On top of that, both countries’ shared commitment to net zero ambitions and clean energy will support future growth in both our countries,” he added.
Anwar and Starmer then led their respective delegations at a bilateral meeting, focusing on strengthening the long-standing relationship between the two countries.
During the meeting, both leaders touched on various bilateral and international issues.
Anwar, who arrived here on Tuesday on a five-day working visit, is being accompanied by Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
Later in the day, Anwar attended a product launch by YTL Group UK.
The UK is Malaysia’s fourth largest trading partner in Europe, with the total bilateral trade amounting to RM15.30bil in the first 11 months of 2024.
The UK and Malaysia also share deep defence links, with both countries being part of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) along with Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
