Anwar meets German president in Berlin

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim yesterday met German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to discuss bilateral ties between the two nations.

Anwar, who arrived on Sunday for his six-day visit to Germany, was received by Steinmeier at Bellevue Palace, which houses the president’s office, at about 2pm (9pm Malaysian time).

He signed the guest book before proceeding to meet with the president.

It was the second meeting between the two leaders within one year as the German president undertook a three-day state visit to Malaysia in February last year.

Anwar had said after the Putrajaya meeting that Malaysia looked forward to working together with Germany in biodiversity, ecology, and climate change.

Steinmeier, who had also visited Penang and Sarawak, told his host then that Malaysia would be an important location for German companies to diversify their businesses and investments.

According to him, there are over 700 German companies based in Malaysia creating 65,000 jobs, and there are opportunities for them to diversify and supply to markets in the region.

The third largest economy in the world has been Malaysia’s largest trading partner among European Union member countries since 2000, while Malaysia is the largest trading partner for Germany among Asean member states.

In 2023, Malaysia’s total trade with Germany increased by 5.9 percent to RM63.45 billion (US$13.90 billion) as compared to RM59.87 billion (US$13.62 billion) in 2022.

- Bernama