KUALA LUMPUR: India seeks to "reimagine and deepen" its bilateral relationship with Malaysia amid evolving global landscape as the two countries near the second decade of their Enhanced Strategic Partnership.
India's External Affairs Minister, Dr S. Jaishankar, on Wednesday, affirmed that India views Malaysia as a crucial partner, with the relationship extending beyond mere diplomatic ties to encompass a strong bond of collaboration and shared objectives.
"In 2015, we launched what was called an Enhanced Strategic Partnership (ESP). And next year, we would have completed a decade.
"As we enter the second decade of this ESP, it is equally important that we reimagine this relationship and raise our levels of ambition."
He said this in his keynote address during the interaction session with the Indian community in Malaysia here, which was attended by Indian politicians, community leaders, academicians, and foreign media, among others.
India was Malaysia's 12th largest global trading partner last year with total trade amounting to RM77.76 billion (US$16.53 billion).
In 2011, India's bilateral trade with Malaysia has increased from US$10 billion in 2010 to about US$20 billion in 2023, with an annualised growth rate of about 10 per cent.
Co-Chairman of Asean India Business Council, Datuk Ramesh Kodammal had earlier said with almost US$20 billion bilateral trade in 2022-2023, the two countries aim to cross a US$25 billion mark by 2026.
Jaishankar, who was on a two-day official visit to Malaysia, met Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to discuss the future directions of India-Malaysia relations, sharing the message from the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the unfolding ties.
He also met foreign minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, focusing on the trajectory of India-Malaysia relations, besides several chief executive officers in Malaysia.
Jaishankar said India is considering practical measures to foster the strong bond between both nations and stressed the significance of leveraging the unique attributes shared by both nations.
He said discussions with Malaysia's top leadership largely revolved around enhancing market access, boosting investments, improving air connectivity, and facilitating easier mobility between India and Malaysia.
Jaishankar also acknowledged Malaysia's openness to Indian skills and talents across various sectors and emphasised the importance of intensifying educational connections, including the possibility of bringing esteemed Indian institutions like the Indian Institute of Technology to Malaysia.
"Further, mutual learning and experience sharing, particularly in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), are key to the economic future of both countries. Tourism was also a focal point, and we appreciate efforts to attract Indian visitors.
"We contemplated what the impact of stronger financial connections would be, especially today, considering that many people in India are connected to the world through the UPI (Unified Payments Interface) system of cashless payments. This has a very positive impact on business, tourism, and overall mobility."
Jaishankar also discussed strategies to strengthen defence cooperation and explore new areas of collaboration such as renewable energy, semiconductors, and digital-driven growth.
As both countries prepare for an era of closer relationship, he highlighted the need to build upon the mutual trust and reliability between India and Malaysia, considering the challenges posed by the "complex and volatile global environment".
"I do want to assure you that from the Indian perspective, this (ties with Malaysia) is an enormously important relationship for us. It's a very close relationship. It's been one where we have been very mutually supportive.
"We are together contemplating a much more difficult world than the one we have grown up with in the last generation. And one way by which we can be of great support to each other is really to build on these very special factors of our times.
"The fact that we trust each other. The fact that on crucial matters we have been reliable for each other. The fact that in many ways, both physically and culturally, emotionally, we are much closer to each other."
On India-Asean relationships as Malaysia gears to be the chair in 2025, Jaishankar said India values Malaysia's upcoming chairmanship and hopes for "clearer direction and more definitive outcomes" from Asean discussions.
On potential areas of cooperation between India and Asean, the minister highlighted the significance of embracing new technologies and digital advancements, while emphasising the importance of leveraging emerging industries, such as sunrise industries, to unlock new possibilities for economic growth and development.
He also emphasised the shared cultural heritage and historical ties between India, Asean, and Malaysia, stressing the need to promote greater tourism, travel, and people-to-people interactions.
"We want the people of India and Southeast Asia to appreciate our shared past, and common traditions, and to promote more tourism, travel, interactions, and contacts among young people."
Meanwhile, Jaishankar also described the Indian diaspora as a "living bridge" connecting India with other nations and emphasised the diaspora's role in fostering closer ties between India and countries around the world.
Jaishankar's visit to Malaysia marked the final leg of his three-nation tour, which also included Singapore and the Philippines.
