INDIA and Malaysia will seek to expand economic ties and strengthen co-operation on defence and security, the leaders of the two countries said on Tuesday.

This came during Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s visit to India, his first since he took office in 2022, where he met with his far-right-wing Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

Recently, Mr Anwar has sought to move closer to China, with whom New Delhi has been locked in a long-running border dispute. 

A key part of Mr Modi’s foreign policy has been to deepen trade and ties with other Asian countries, including Malaysia, to push back against growing Chinese influence in the region.

Both leaders addressed reporters after signing a slew of new agreements, including digital technologies, tourism and traditional medicine. 

Mr Anwar said the two countries have enjoyed good relations for years, saying that “we realised this must be strengthened in a multitude of areas,” including construction, agriculture and military collaborations to safeguard both nations’ borders.

Prime Minister Modi said the two had discussed co-operation in the defence sector and that trade and investment between the two countries should grow while they collaborate on new industries like the production of semiconductors. 

Mr Modi also stressed how the partnership between the two countries had grown, taking on “new momentum and energy” over the years.