Anwar jemput Ethiopia buka kedutaan di KL

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his Ethiopian counterpart, Abiy Ahmed, met in New Delhi, India, outside the BRICS Summit. Malaysia invited Ethiopia to open a consulate in Kuala Lumpur as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral ties through high-level visits. The Prime Minister conveyed the invitation after meeting with his Ethiopian counterpart at the 18th BRICS Summit.

Both leaders agreed to hold a first bilateral discussion between Malaysia and Ethiopia in Kuala Lumpur next year to discuss mutual issues and explore new areas of cooperation. They also discussed expanding cooperation in trade, investment, and several emerging industries. They further discussed cooperation in halal products, agriculture, food safety, pharmaceuticals, as well as exploring opportunities in digital services, new energy, and tourism.

Anwar welcomed the increasingly close relationship between the two countries, reciprocated by both in the past two years. Abiy visited Malaysia in 2024, while Anwar made an official visit to Ethiopia in 2025. Malaysia reopened its consulate in Addis Ababa in September last year, after a 43-year closure. Last year, Anwar reiterated Malaysia's readiness to further expand trade with Ethiopia, highlighting reforms, logistics aspirations, youthful and dynamic workforce in the African country as the foundation for deeper cooperation.

Ethiopia was Malaysia's 26th largest trading partner in Africa in 2023, with two-way trade reaching RM446.8 million. Trade between the two countries jumped 40.1% in 2024 to reach RM626 million, though relatively small.