PM Anwar Leaves For Ethiopia As First-leg Of Three-country Visit To Africa

By M.Saraswathi

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today departed for Ethiopia for the first leg of a three-country visit to Africa, beginning with a three-day official stop in Addis Ababa until Nov 20 at the invitation of his counterpart, Dr Abiy Ahmed Ali. 

This will mark Anwar’s first visit to Ethiopia, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Ethiopia, established in January 1965. 

A chartered Malaysia Airlines aircraft carrying the Prime Minister left Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) here at 12.35 pm. 

During the visit, Anwar will be officially received by the Ethiopian Prime Minister in an official welcoming ceremony at the National Palace before leading the Malaysian delegation for a bilateral meeting.

Anwar is accompanied by Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (Federal Territory) Datuk Seri Zaliha Mustafa, senior government officials, as well as a delegation of business leaders.

Ethiopia, the most populous landlocked country in the world, ranks as Malaysia’s 26th largest trading partner in the African continent in 2023. 

Bilateral trade between Malaysia and Ethiopia stood at RM446.8 million, with exports from Malaysia to Ethiopia valued at RM358.6 million, representing a 24.6 per cent increase from the previous year. 

After concluding his visit to Ethiopia, Anwar will undertake a working visit to South Africa to attend the Group of 20 (G20) Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg as a guest of the G20 President, followed by an official visit to Kenya.

-- BERNAMA