In a remarkable diplomatic development, External Affairs Minister, Dr. S Jaishankar, and Malaysia’s Foreign Minister, Zambry Abdul Kadir, came together to co-chair the 6th India-Malaysia Joint Commission Meeting. The meeting took place in New Delhi and provided an essential platform for the two nations to evaluate and enhance cooperation across a multitude of sectors.
Significantly, this meeting held particular importance as it followed a 12-year gap since the last Joint Commission Meeting, which was convened in Kuala Lumpur in 2011. The gathering also marked a significant step in reinforcing the longstanding and substantive relationship between India and Malaysia.
About 6th India-Malaysia Joint Commission Meeting
During this momentous occasion, both sides engaged in comprehensive discussions that covered a wide array of areas, including political ties, defense and security cooperation, trade and finance, health, energy, education, maritime cooperation, culture, tourism, and people-to-people interactions.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), EAM Dr. S Jaishankar said, “Co-chaired along with FM @ZambryOfficial the 6th India-Malaysia Joint Commission Meeting in New Delhi. Reviewed progress on our political, defence & security, trade and finance , health, energy, education, maritime cooperation, culture, tourism and people-to-people cooperation. Also shared perspectives on the Indo-Pacific, ASEAN, West Asia and other regional and global issues.”
Co-chaired along with FM @ZambryOfficial the 6th 🇮🇳-🇲🇾 Joint Commission Meeting in New Delhi.
Reviewed progress on our political, defence & security, trade and finance , health, energy, education, maritime cooperation, culture, tourism and people-to-people cooperation.
Also… pic.twitter.com/hsUoG4FHtv
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) November 7, 2023
Moreover, the bilateral discussions were also complemented by the signing of several crucial agreements aimed at further strengthening cooperation between India and Malaysia.
- Enhancing Broadcasting Cooperation: Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) and India’s Prasar Bharti inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to bolster cooperation in the broadcasting sector.
- Diplomatic Training Partnership: The Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR) and India’s Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service (SSIFS) exchanged notes to formalize their cooperation in the training of diplomats.
- Academic Research Collaboration: Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism (SEARCCT) and Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) signed a Letter of Intent to cooperate in the field of academic research.
Malaysia’s strategic significance as a crucial partner for India
Earlier, during the address (opening remark), stating about India-Malaysia ties, Dr. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister, emphasized Malaysia’s strategic significance as a crucial partner. He noted Malaysia’s current status as one of India’s top 10 trading partners and its ranking as the third-largest trading partner within the ASEAN region. Dr. Jaishankar also highlighted the potential to explore new horizons, including digital technology, renewable energy, semiconductors, and space exploration.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir, visiting India for the first time in his capacity as Malaysia’s Foreign Minister, echoed this sentiment in his opening remarks. He expressed the collective desire of both nations to broaden the horizons of cooperation and collaboration, both in the present and the future.
