PUTRAJAYA: Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who is on a two-day visit to Malaysia, received an official welcome at the Perdana Putra Complex today.
His arrival was welcomed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at 9.00am.
Also present to welcome Ishiba and his wife Yoshiko were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, cabinet members, and senior government officials.
Ishiba then inspected a guard of honour mounted by three officers and 103 members of the First Battalion of the Royal Ranger Regiment led by Major Arifuddin Mohd Yusuf.
Wisma Putra said, in a statement, that both leaders are expected to review the progress of Malaysia-Japan bilateral relations, particularly in areas such as trade and investment, human resource development, and energy cooperation, during the meeting.
They are also expected to exchange views on various regional and international issues of common interest, including the situation in the Middle East, before holding a joint press conference.
Anwar will also host a luncheon at the Seri Perdana Complex in honour of his visiting Japanese counterpart.
Malaysia's ties with Japan have grown stronger since bilateral relations were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in December 2023.
Japan is a key economic partner for Malaysia, with a total of 2,821 manufacturing projects involving Japanese participation implemented in Malaysia as of June 2024. These projects represent investments worth RM105.2 billion (US$30.4 billion), generating employment for approximately 344,996 people.
Japan is the fourth-largest foreign investor in Malaysia's manufacturing sector and Malaysia's fourth-largest trading partner, with total trade valued at RM156.75 billion in 2023.