(Adnkronos) – Italy and Malaysia are “friendly countries” and are “very happy” with their flourishing business and political ties, foreign minister Antonio Tajani told a roundtable Tuesday attended by Malay premier Anwar Ibrahim and several of his key ministers.
“We are very happy with our relations at an economic and political level and look to the future together”, Tajani said in opening remarks to the Italy–Malaysia Economic Partnership Roundtable.
”Our companies are ready to invest in ever closer cooperation,” Tajani continued, confirming ‘the government’s support for the internationalization of Italian companies.
“Collaboration will be increasingly fruitful because ”Italian companies are ready to invest in ever-closer cooperation,” said Tajani.
Peace and stability are guarantors for development, because without them “you cannot do business”, he said.
“Italian industry is looking with ever greater attention to your country as a destination for investments,” Tajani underlined.
“We have set up support mechanisms to encourage Malaysian investments in Italy and to help Italian companies in Malaysia,” Tajani said.
“Our exports to Malaysia grew 16% in the first quarter of the year compared with the same period of 2024,” he said.
Malaysia is a partner of Italy’s in the defence and security industry sectors, where they have consolidated industrial cooperation and where there are prospects to “further strengthen” collaboration, Tajani said.
Investment, trade and industry minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz, foreign minister Mohamad Hasan are among ministers taking part in the roundtable, according to a foreign ministry statement.
The event “represents a concrete opportunity to promote collaboration and mutual benefit for companies, especially in the context of the recently relaunched negotiations for an EU–Malaysia Free Trade Agreement,” the statement said.
Speakers at the rountable include Matteo Zoppas, President of ITA, Dario Scannapieco, CEO of state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, Alessandra Ricci, CEO of Italian exports insurer SACE, and Regina Corradini d’Arienzo, CEO of service provider to Italian companies operating abroad, Simest.
Over 50 high-level representatives from Italian companies and associations are taking part in the roundtable, alongside around 30 Malaysian firms, according to the statement.
Trade between Italy and Malaysia totalled €3.1 billion in 2024, with Italian exports rising by 23.4% (€1.7 billion). In the first quarter of this year, bilateral trade saw a positive growth of 26% (€815 million) compared to the same period in 2024, particularly in the energy transition and production, advanced industrial machinery, infrastructure and defence fields, according to the statement.
Malaysia is the third-largest economy in ASEAN and has the second highest per capita income in the region after Singapore. With the most advanced infrastructure network in Southeast Asia, Malaysia boasts a highly developed microchip and semiconductor industry and is the world’s fifth-largest exporter of LNG (liquified natural gas), the statement noted.
