PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent official visit to Timor-Leste strengthened bilateral ties ahead of the country’s ASEAN accession.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil described the visit as historic during today’s Cabinet meeting.
He noted this marked the first Malaysian Prime Ministerial visit since Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s 2003 trip.
Malaysia will welcome Timor-Leste as the 11th ASEAN member on October 26 during its chairmanship.
Fahmi emphasised the visit served dual purposes of pre-accession engagement and bilateral relationship enhancement.
The 47th ASEAN Summit scheduled from October 26-28 will host world leaders including US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Prime Minister Anwar completed a historic two-day official visit to Timor-Leste on September 23.
Bilateral trade between Malaysia and Timor-Leste reached USD18.72 million (RM85.68 million) in 2024.
Malaysian exports to Timor-Leste amounted to USD18.37 million (RM84.06 million) during this period.
Imports from Timor-Leste stood at USD0.35 million (RM1.62 million) in 2024.
January to July 2024 saw bilateral trade reach USD6.65 million (RM26.88 million).
More than 200 Malaysian small and medium enterprises operate in Timor-Leste across multiple sectors.
These Malaysian businesses are active in food, hospitality, retail and automotive services industries. – Bernama