LIMA (Peru): Malaysia hopes to contribute to the infrastructure development in Chancay Port, located around 80 km north of Peru’s capital, Lima, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.
“We note the importance of the newly developed Chancay Port. Malaysia hopes to contribute to the infrastructure development in Chancay Port,” he said.
Malaysia also envisioned the establishment of a halal ecosystem in Peru, positioning the country as a gateway for Malaysian products into Latin America by leveraging Chancay Port’s infrastructure, he said after a bilateral meeting with Peruvian President Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra, which took place at the Government Palace here on Wednesday.
Earlier, the Prime Minister was accorded a state welcome at the palace.
Also present during the meeting were Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz.
According to reports, the US$3.5 billion complex is expected to become a major hub for trade between South America and China. It is Peru’s massive new Chinese-funded port.
Anwar, who is also the finance minister, said the engagement today was a follow-up to “the first meeting we had on the sidelines of APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in San Francisco, the United States in November 2023.”
“I am happy to be able to meet the president in Lima to continue the discussion. This is also my first visit to the region since assuming office,” he noted.
Anwar said Peru is an important trading partner to Malaysia. Both countries have been utilising the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in enhancing bilateral trade and achieving economic growth.
Total trade between Malaysia and Peru from January to July 2024 stood at RM1.16 billion, an increase of 36.3 per cent from RM847.7 million over the same period in 2023.
Malaysia is committed to strengthening bilateral and economic ties with Peru even further, said Anwar.
“My visit to Peru is a testament to this. We had discussed at length various aspects of potential cooperation in trade and investment, infrastructure development, halal industry, agriculture, food security and people-to-people ties,” he continued.
Earlier, both Anwar and Dina Ercilia witnessed the exchange of three memorandums of understanding (MOU), one of which was between the Halal Development Corporation (HDC) and the Peruvian Promotion Commission for Export and Tourism (PROMPERU). The second MOU was on agriculture cooperation between the Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute (MARDI) and the National Institute of Agricultural Innovation (INIA) while the third MOU was between Taylor’s University and the Tourism Training Centre of Peru (CENFOTUR) on cooperation in gastronomy.
“The MOUs reflect the commitment between various levels of stakeholders to strengthen cooperation between Malaysia and Peru. We are confident that once finalised, the MOUs will facilitate greater engagements between both countries,” he said.
Anwar’s visit, which includes his participation in the 31st APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM) from Nov 14 to 16, is expected to strengthen bilateral relations between Malaysia and Peru.
The prime minister noted that APEC, of which Malaysia is one of the 12 founding members, continues to be an important forum. Malaysia remains committed to advancing economic collaboration, promoting shared prosperity, and fostering inclusive development across the Asia-Pacific region.
Peru, a western South American country, is bordered by Ecuador and Colombia in the north and the east by Brazil. Lima, Peru’s capital with a population of 11.36 million, is hosting the APEC meetings for the third time after 2008 and 2016.
APEC is an inter-governmental forum of 21 member economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region. It represents nearly 40 per cent of the world’s population, almost half of global trade and over 60 per cent of the global economy. – BERNAMA
