PM Anwar Arrives In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia To Begin Landmark Africa Visit
From M. Saraswathi
ADDIS ABABA, Nov 18 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim arrived in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia at 4.10 pm local time (Malaysian time 9.10 pm) for his official visit here, marking the beginning of his maiden tour of the African continent and a renewed chapter in Malaysia’s engagement with the region.
The plane carrying Anwar and the Malaysian delegation landed at the Bole International Airport and was received by Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed Ali, Malaysian Foreign Ministry secretary general Amran Mohamed Zin and Embassy of Malaysia in Ethiopia Chargé d'Affaires (Ad Interim) Mohd Afandi Abu Bakar.
Anwar was also welcomed with the National Anthem of Ethiopia "March Forward, Dear Mother Ethiopia" and “Saya Anak Malaysia” song.
Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, is accompanied by Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Zaliha Mustafa, Malaysian government officials as well as a business delegation.
This is a landmark visit as Malaysia is set to intensify engagements with the African continent through the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa.
The 55-member African Union, which was set up in July 2002, is the representative voice for Africa on the global stage, and one of its key roles is to encourage international cooperation.
Anwar’s three-day visit to the “Horn of Africa” – the first for a Malaysian Prime Minister -- is also to reciprocate Dr Abiy Ahmed’s visit to Malaysia in October last year.
The visit celebrates the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations, established in January 1965, and also celebrates the reopening of Malaysia’s mission in Addis Ababa on Sept 23, 2025, after a lapse of 42 years, reaffirming Malaysia’s intention to further strengthen close bilateral relations.
Mohd Afandi said in a virtual briefing on Monday that the visit serves as a catalyst for exploring new opportunities for cooperation in various areas of mutual interest, particularly in trade, investment and people-to-people relations.
The reopening of Malaysia’s Embassy in Addis Ababa, the seat of the African Union, will also offer opportunities for Malaysia to bolster its relations with the larger African Union, he said.
In Addis Ababa, an official welcoming ceremony awaits Anwar at the National Palace on Wednesday, attended by Dr Abiy Ahmed, following which both leaders would have a bilateral meeting.
A number of agreements as well as memoranda of agreement are expected to be clinched between both countries, including a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in health, an air services agreement and an MoU on cooperation in tourism.
Others include a collaboration document between the Kuala Lumpur City Council and Addis Ababa City Administration, which will formalise the mechanism for maintaining strategic dialogue, setting the stage for long-term cooperation between the two nations.
Anwar will also pay a courtesy call on Ethiopia’s President Taye Atske Selassie and meet the African Union Commission chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, who is from Djibouti.
The Prime Minister is also scheduled to deliver a special lecture titled “Bridging Civilisations, Building Futures: Strengthening Afro-Malaysia Partnership for Shared Prosperity” for the Pan-African Youth Union and Ethiopia Youth Council.
Ethiopia, the most populous landlocked country in the world, ranked as Malaysia's 26th largest trading partner in the African continent in 2023.
Bilateral trade between Malaysia and Ethiopia stood at RM446.8 million, with exports from Malaysia to Ethiopia valued at RM358.6 million, representing a 24.6 per cent increase from the previous year.
From Addis Ababa, Anwar will travel to Johannesburg, South Africa, for a working visit from Nov 20 to 23 to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit, before proceeding to Nairobi, Kenya, from Nov 23 to 24 before returning home.
-- BERNAMA
