Putrajaya: Pakistan and Malaysia have reaffirmed their shared commitment to further expand bilateral cooperation, focusing on enhancing economic and trade ties. This was expressed during a meeting between Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and his Malaysian counterpart Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim at Perdana Putra.

According to Radio Pakistan, the two leaders expressed satisfaction with the steady progress in bilateral cooperation, following the Malaysian Prime Minister’s visit to Pakistan in October last year. They discussed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and agreed to explore new collaboration avenues, including investment and joint ventures in sectors such as information technology, the Halal industry, green energy, and higher education.

Both sides agreed to increase the import quota of Halal meat exports from Pakistan to Malaysia to $200 million and expressed satisfaction with the rice exports from Pakistan, which have exceeded their quota. The leaders also discussed regional and international developments, including the situation in the Middle East, and emphasized the importance of cooperation at multilateral forums like the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

The Malaysian Prime Minister praised Pakistan’s constructive role in the ongoing peace efforts in Palestine and reaffirmed Malaysia’s support for a peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. The leaders deliberated on strengthening Pakistan-ASEAN engagement, with Shehbaz Sharif thanking Anwar Ibrahim for supporting Pakistan’s bid to become a full dialogue partner of ASEAN.

In a joint news conference, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the meeting as productive, highlighting Pakistan’s interest in benefiting from Malaysian expertise in technology and economic growth. He welcomed Malaysia’s announcement of importing $200 million worth of meat from Pakistan and assured efforts to meet Malaysian conditionalities.

The two countries also exchanged MOUs in areas such as training of diplomats, higher education, and Halal Certification. The ceremony was witnessed by both Prime Ministers, who also launched the Urdu translation of Anwar Ibrahim’s book, SCRIPT. The meeting concluded with a special luncheon hosted by the Malaysian Prime Minister in honor of Shehbaz Sharif and his delegation.