PUTRAJAYA, Oct 6 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim hosted a luncheon in honour of visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at Seri Perdana today.
Anwar and Shehbaz, who arrived together in the same car at 12.55pm, were greeted with ‘Welcome to Malaysia’ chants by students from SK Putrajaya Presint 11 (3), while a group from Istana Budaya performed the welcoming dance.
Also in attendance were Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir; Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Mohd Na'im Mokhtar.
Earlier, Shehbaz was accorded an official welcome at the Perdana Putra Complex and held a bilateral meeting with Anwar.
Shehbaz and his delegation arrived in Malaysia yesterday for a three-day official visit at Anwar’s invitation.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said that his visit to Malaysia serves as a reciprocal gesture to Anwar’s official visit to Pakistan in October last year, reflecting the deepening ties between the two nations.
The visit is expected to further strengthen bilateral relations and foster stronger cooperation in areas of mutual benefit.
Malaysia and Pakistan established diplomatic relations in 1957, with ties elevated to a Strategic Partnership in March 2019.
In 2024, total trade between Malaysia and Pakistan reached RM8.07 billion (approximately US$1.76 billion), a 25.5 per cent increase from the previous year.
Malaysia’s main exports to Pakistan include palm oil, petroleum, and chemical products, while imports from Pakistan consist of agricultural produce, textiles, apparel, footwear, and petroleum products.
