PM Modi, Malaysia PM vow to strengthen strategic, trade ties

India and Malaysia on Saturday agreed to strengthen their strategic partnership for mounting an effective response to common challenges of terrorism and extremism during the talks Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with his Malayasian counterpart Najib Razak.

The wide-ranging talks also encompassed trade ties.

The two Prime Ministers held restricted as well as delegation-level talks which ran the gamut of bilateral relations, including cultural, economic and strategic engagement.

Later, addressing a joint press event with Najib, Modi said,”To secure our societies, and for the greater regional good, we have agreed to further strengthen our strategic partnership to shape an effective response to our common concerns and challenges.”

Modi also said the two sides were conscious of their role and responsibility in promoting economic prosperity, freedom of navigation, and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, especially its oceans.

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On his part, Najib said Modi was specifically interested in knowing about the success of Malaysia’s de-radicalisation programme and he presented the Indian leader a book on the specific module dealing with it apart from offering to extend his country’s expertise in the area.

“We are willing to work closely together with the Indian government for special conference that will be held in near future and we will provide our experience and with our partners to make sure Malaysia and other parts of the world will never be a place in which militancy and extremism will take root,” Najib said.

The visiting dignitary also asserted that defence and strategic partnership will be “very important to us to fight global terrorism, militancy, extremism and that includes our fight against IS and against any form of extremism”.

“For this, we will enhance our cooperation,” he said.

After the talks between Modi and Najib, the two sides inked seven pacts, including one related to air services and cooperation in development of a fertiliser plant in Malaysia with off-take of surplus urea by India.

While seeking to deepen the engagement between the two countries, Najib maintained the bilateral ties have not yet realised its full potential and hoped these pacts will boost the engagement in various sectors.

On economic ties, Modi said the two countries have built a thriving economic partnership.

“In our efforts to scale this up, as the fastest growing large economy in the world, India offers unparalleled opportunities. And, to build new avenues of prosperity in our societies, we are ready to expand trade and capital flows between our two economies,” he said, identifying infrastructure as one of the key sectors for investment.