Prime Minister Modi Supports Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025
Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized India’s commitment to ASEAN and pledged full support to Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship in 2025. During a meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Modi highlighted the historical ties between the two nations and announced special initiatives, including scholarships and the establishment of academic chairs. Both leaders agreed to elevate their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with Malaysia investing over $5 billion in India last year.
Key Points from the Meeting
Prime Minister Modi stated, “India attaches priority to ASEAN centrality. We agree that the review of FTA between India and ASEAN should be completed in a time-bound manner. India will extend full support to Malaysia’s successful ASEAN chairmanship in 2025.”
He also recalled the age-old ties between the two nations and mentioned the success of ‘PIO Day’ in Malaysia last year. Modi announced that 100 seats will be specially allocated for Malaysians under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme for advanced courses like cyber security and AI.
Special Initiatives
- 100 ITEC scholarships for Malaysians
- Establishment of an Ayurveda Chair at Malaysia’s University Tumko Abdul Rahman
- Establishment of a Thiruvalluvar Chair at a Malaysian University
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim praised the strong ties between the two countries and referred to Modi as his “brother.” He expressed his commitment to enhancing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Malaysia.
Agreements and MoUs
Before the joint press statements, India and Malaysia exchanged MoUs and Agreements in the presence of Prime Minister Modi and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. The discussions aimed to deepen engagement across various domains of partnership between the two nations.
Doubts Revealed
Prime Minister Modi -: Prime Minister Modi is the leader of India. He makes important decisions for the country.
Malaysia -: Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. It is known for its beautiful beaches and rainforests.
ASEAN -: ASEAN stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It is a group of countries in Southeast Asia that work together on economic and political issues.
Chairmanship -: Chairmanship means being the leader or head of a group. In this case, Malaysia will lead ASEAN in 2025.
Anwar Ibrahim -: Anwar Ibrahim is the Prime Minister of Malaysia. He is the leader of the Malaysian government.
Historical ties -: Historical ties mean the long history of friendship and cooperation between two countries. India and Malaysia have been friends for a long time.
Scholarships -: Scholarships are financial help given to students to study. They don’t have to pay back the money.
Academic chairs -: Academic chairs are special positions in universities for experts to teach and do research.
Comprehensive Strategic Partnership -: A Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is a close and strong relationship between two countries, where they work together on many important issues.
Investing -: Investing means putting money into something to make it grow. Malaysia put over $5 billion into India to help businesses and projects.
