London (VNA) – Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his UK counterpart Keir Starmer held talks in London on January 15, discussing the elevation of the relations between both countries to strategic partnership covering all spheres.

Regarding bilateral relations, the two PMs agreed that now, it's right time to strengthen the UK- Malaysia relationship. The two sides discussed closer cooperation and upgrading their relationship to a strategic partnership in trade and investment, education, clean energy, and defence.

Both PMs agreed on a common goal for economic growth. Starmer reaffirmed the advantages of the UK’s investment environment. He welcomed the 4 billion GBP (4.8 billion USD) investment by YTL companies, and expressed their confidence that this investment will benefit the people of Bristol, create 30,000 jobs, and build new homes on vacant land.

The two sides emphasised their joint commitment to net-zero ambitions and noted that clean energy will support the future growth of both countries.

Regarding UK-ASEAN relations, as a dialogue partner of ASEAN, the UK welcomed Malaysia's role as ASEAN Chair in 2025. The two leaders emphasised the shared commitment to building a strong UK-ASEAN partnership, reinforced by respect for ASEAN's role in maintaining a prosperous and peaceful Indo-Pacific.

Within the framwork of the PM Anwar's visit to the UK, Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security and his Malaysian counterpart Tengku Zafrul Aziz will co-chair the first meeting of the joint economic and trade committee (JETCO) on January 16, aiming to enhance trade and investment relations in priority areas including legal services, education, agriculture, and small and medium-sized enterprises.

ꦡ The UK-Malaysia trade volume reached nearly 6 billion GBP in the year as of the end of June 2024. The UK's formal accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is expected to further encourage Malaysian businesses to invest in the UK as the agreement ensures fair and equal access for Malaysian and UK investors to each other's markets./.