Kuala Lumpur (TDI): Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Friday during the sidelines of the 32nd ASEAN Regional Forum Ministerial Meeting, where both leaders reaffirmed their intention to deepen cooperation between the two countries.
During the meeting, Ishaq Dar conveyed personal regards from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, saying the government in Islamabad values its long-standing friendship with Malaysia and sees strong potential for working more closely in areas like trade, investment, and regional diplomacy.
He also congratulated Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Malaysia’s upcoming role as ASEAN Chair in 2025, adding that Malaysia had consistently shown steady leadership in the region, especially during challenging times.
Prime Minister Anwar, in return, said he was looking forward to welcoming PM Shehbaz to Malaysia in October, and appreciated Pakistan’s participation in regional forums like ASEAN.
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Dar also thanked the Malaysian side for its warm hospitality and commended the smooth hosting of the ASEAN gathering, which brought together foreign ministers and delegates from across the Asia-Pacific.
The two leaders recalled Anwar’s visit to Islamabad last year and discussed follow-up measures to enhance economic cooperation, especially initiatives encouraging business-to-business links and private investment.
Dar is currently in Kuala Lumpur representing Pakistan at the ASEAN Regional Forum, which is attended by foreign ministers from 27 member states, along with ASEAN’s Secretary-General. The forum is focused on regional peace, multilateral coordination, and security dialogue.
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In addition to official meetings, Dar is also expected to meet members of the Pakistani community in Malaysia, a move aimed at strengthening outreach to overseas Pakistanis.
The ASEAN Regional Forum, established in 1994, remains the region’s key political and security platform for dialogue among governments.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
