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BANGKOK – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has arrived in Thailand for a two-day official visit to elevate bilateral ties and strengthen the multifaceted cooperation between Malaysia and Thailand.
The special aircraft carrying Anwar and his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail landed at the Military Air Terminal 2 at 1pm local time (2pm Malaysia time).
He was greeted upon arrival by Thai deputy prime minister and foreign minister Don Pramudwinai, representing the Thai government.
Also present was Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir and Malaysian ambassador to Thailand Datuk Jojie Samuel.
It is Anwar's maiden visit to Thailand after being sworn in as the 10th Malaysian prime minister. The visit is at the invitation of Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan o-cha.
The Malaysian delegation also includes Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail; Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad; and top officials from the relevant ministries and agencies.
A tight schedule awaits the prime minister during the visit, which will kick off with a high tea with the Malaysian diaspora.
Anwar will attend a welcoming ceremony presided by Prayuth at Thailand's Government House and the leaders will then hold a bilateral meeting to discuss the way forward in strengthening the multifaceted cooperation.
Focus areas include economic cooperation, border area development, and key connectivity projects crossing the land borders.
Later, Anwar and Prayuth will witness the signing and exchange of four memoranda of understanding to explore potential cooperation in the fields of energy and digital economy.
Anwar will be attending an official dinner hosted by Prayuth before concluding his first-day programme.
On the second day of his visit, Anwar is scheduled to give a speech on The Future of Asean during a meeting with captains of industry and the business community, followed by a networking lunch.
He will also join the congregation to perform Friday prayers at the Islamic Centre of Thailand.
Anwar is scheduled to depart home tomorrow at 5pm local time (6pm Malaysia time).
This is Anwar's fourth official international visit after Indonesia, Brunei, and Singapore since taking office on November 24 last year. – Bernama, February 9, 2023