PM Anwar To Meet France's Captains Of Industry, Boost Trade And Investment In Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is on an official visit to France from July 3 to 4, is scheduled to attend a roundtable meeting with French captains of industry, including from companies such as Imerys, Arkema, Airbus and Thales, to highlight trade and investment opportunities in Malaysia.
Imerys is a global leader specialising in the production of industrial minerals, Arkema is a global maker of specialty materials and high-performance chemicals, Airbus is a renowned European aerospace company known for manufacturing commercial and military aircraft, and Thales is a high-tech company specialising in defence, security, transport, and aerospace systems.
Malaysia’s Ambassador to France, Datuk Eldeen Husaini Mohd Hashim, said the meeting, held in conjunction with Anwar’s inaugural official visit to France at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron, will be attended by about 180 companies, including industry leaders from Malaysia.
During the visit, Anwar is accompanied by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Transport Minister Anthony Loke, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Also joining the delegation is Deputy Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.
Eldeen Husaini said Anwar is scheduled to hold a one-on-one meeting with Macron at the Élysée Palace, with key agenda items including trade, investment, renewable energy, semiconductors, defence, education, digital economy, and artificial intelligence.
“Malaysia expects this official visit will boost investor confidence in exploring new investment opportunities and strengthen bilateral economic cooperation, particularly in the nuclear and clean energy sectors,” he told the Malaysian media in an online briefing from Paris on Wednesday.
He noted Malaysia’s exports to France increased by 0.4 per cent to RM6.14 billion in 2024, making France Malaysia’s sixth-largest trading partner among European Union countries.
He said that as of March this year, French companies’ investments in Malaysia had shown encouraging performance, with 358 approved projects in the manufacturing and services sectors that are expected to create nearly 24,000 job opportunities in the country.
According to Eldeen Husaini, the launch of direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Paris this year using the Airbus A350 is also seen as a catalyst for tourism growth following a 41.8 per cent jump in the number of French tourists visiting Malaysia.
“This visit aims to open a new chapter in bilateral relations, drive national economic growth, and enhance Malaysia’s competitiveness in the global supply chain,” he added.
Anwar is currently undertaking a visit to three countries — Italy, France, and Brazil — from July 1 to July 7.
-- BERNAMA
