PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Senegal have agreed to work closely to deepen cooperation for the benefit of both countries, said the Foreign Ministry in a statement today.
The ministry said the areas of interest identified for the cooperation include trade, agriculture, education, renewable energy, the halal industry, Islamic finance, waqaf and zakat, healthcare and digitalisation.
According to the statement, the agreement was an outcome of a discussion between Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and his Senegalese counterpart, Yassine Fall during his two-day official visit to Senegal which ended Tuesday.
"...the first visit to Senegal by a Malaysian Foreign Minister since Malaysia and Senegal established diplomatic relations in 1986," said the statement.
They discussed bilateral ties as well as global issues of mutual concern, it added.
"The Foreign Minister was also granted an audience with the President of Senegal Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye. This engagement afforded the opportunity for Malaysia and Senegal to reiterate their commitment to strengthening the bond of friendship between the two countries," the statement read.
According to the ministry, Mohamad also had a session with the Malaysian diaspora in Dakar, and the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP) alumni.
The statement noted that Mohamad's visit to Senegal underscores Malaysia's commitment to maintaining strong bilateral ties with Senegal and advancing cooperation in multilateral forums.
It also sets the stage for expanding mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in the years ahead, it added.
In 2023, Senegal was Malaysia's 15th largest trading partner in Africa, with total trade valued at RM1.04 billion (US$227.49 million), an increase of 16 per cent compared with the trade volume in 2022.– BERNAMA
