Rio de janeiro: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrived here Saturday to attend the 17th BRICS Leaders’ Summit hosted by Brazil. The aircraft carrying Anwar and his delegation landed at the Galeo Air Force Base (BAGL) at 5.41 am local time (4.41 pm Malaysian time) after a 12-hour flight from Paris, following the completion of his two-day official visit.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Anwar was received by Acting Head of Mission of the Malaysian embassy in Brasilia, Datuk Mohammad Ali Selamat, Secretary of Trade Promotion, Science, Technology, Innovation and Culture, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Laudemar Gon§alves de Aguiar Neto, and other Brazilian officials. Anwar, who also serves as the Finance Minister, is attending the summit at the invitation of President Luiz In¡cio Lula da Silva, accompanied by Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Minister of Transport Anthony Loke, Miri Member of Parliament Chiew Choon Man, and Paya Besar Member of Parliament Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah.
Malaysia’s participation in the summit is in its capacity as a BRICS Partner Country and Chair of ASEAN 2025. The summit marks the first gathering of Heads of State and Government from BRICS Member and Partner Countries since Malaysia officially attained BRICS Partner Country status on January 1, 2025. Hours after arriving, Anwar is scheduled to deliver a speech at the BRICS Business Forum alongside the Brazilian president.
On Monday, the Prime Minister will present National Statements on ‘Strengthening Multilateralism, Economic-Financial Affairs, and Artificial Intelligence’ and ‘Environment, COP30 and Global Health’ sessions. These interventions reflect Malaysia’s commitment to strengthening multilateralism and advocating for the interests of developing countries. As Chair of ASEAN 2025, Malaysia aims to promote stronger engagement between ASEAN and BRICS, advancing regional cooperation and economic partnerships for a more equitable global economy.
During his three-day visit, Anwar is scheduled for bilateral meetings with counterparts from BRICS Member and Partner Countries and engagements with Brazilian and Malaysian companies. The BRICS group, which serves as a coordination forum for countries of the Global South, was initially established by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, later expanding to include South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Indonesia, with Malaysia and several other countries recognized as BRICS partner countries.