Rio de janeiro: Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged in discussions at the BRICS Leaders’ Summit held in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday (Monday in Malaysia). Both leaders are attending the summit in the Brazilian city, marking their latest encounter since the ASEAN-India Summit in Laos last year.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Anwar was joined by Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, while India’s delegation included Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar. The meeting underscores the importance of Malaysia-India relations, with Malaysia being India’s third-largest trading partner within ASEAN. The trade between the two countries amounted to USD20.02 billion in 2023-2024, contributing to about 17 per cent of India’s total trade with ASEAN.

Anwar’s arrival in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday was in response to an invitation from Brazilian President Luiz In¡cio Lula da Silva to attend the 17th BRICS Leaders’ Summit. This year marks a significant milestone for Malaysia, as it officially became a BRICS Partner Country on January 1.