Kuala lumpur: Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Development Cooperation, Maxime Pr©vot, departed Malaysia today following a focused two-day working visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties between the two nations. Pr©vot and his delegation left Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 on a commercial flight heading to Singapore at 8.40 pm, marking the conclusion of a series of discussions and engagements with Malaysian officials.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Pr©vot expressed optimism about the future of Malaysia-Belgium relations, emphasizing the potential for strong partnerships in various sectors. During his visit, Pr©vot met with Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, to evaluate and enhance the current state of bilateral relations. Both leaders discussed avenues to expand cooperation across government, business, and community levels.
The discussions also focused on boosting bilateral trade, with Pr©vot affirming Belgium's commitment to reviewing its travel advisory for Sabah to potentially reassess its current status. Further cooperation opportunities were explored in areas such as the halal ecosystem and energy transition. Malaysia assured Belgium of open maritime access through the South China Sea, reinforcing ASEAN's stance on maintaining peace, neutrality, and openness in the region amidst global shipping concerns.
Apart from official meetings, Pr©vot delivered a keynote address titled "Europe and a Changing Asia Pacific" at the 39th Asia-Pacific Roundtable organized by the Institute of Strategic and International Studies, highlighting Europe's role in the evolving geopolitical landscape of the Asia Pacific region.
The visit underscored the robust economic relationship between Malaysia and Belgium, with total bilateral trade reaching RM9.74 billion in 2025. This comprised RM6.85 billion in Malaysian exports and RM2.89 billion in imports. Additionally, 67 projects involving Belgian participation had been approved by 2025, amounting to RM5.1 billion in investments and creating potential employment for 4,605 individuals.