Malaysia Welcomes India’s 2026 BRICS Chairmanship, Reaffirms Commitment to Deeper Cooperation
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 8 — Malaysia has welcomed India’s upcoming BRICS chairmanship in 2026, reaffirming its commitment to deepen cooperation and mutual support as part of broader efforts to promote a more balanced, inclusive and representative international order.
The position was outlined in a joint statement following the official visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who held bilateral talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya.
According to the statement, Malaysia expressed support for India’s leadership of BRICS in 2026, while India reiterated its backing for Malaysia’s role as a BRICS Partner Country and acknowledged Malaysia’s aspiration to become a full member of the grouping in the future.
“Both leaders recognised this cooperation as a strategic milestone that can contribute towards a more balanced and representative international system,” the joint statement said.
They also shared the view that platforms such as BRICS provide important avenues for emerging and developing economies to engage constructively in equitable global governance and sustainable development.
Advancing Multilateral Cooperation
During their discussions, Anwar and Modi agreed to strengthen cooperation across multilateral forums, including the United Nations, and to jointly support reforms of international institutions to better reflect contemporary global realities.
Both leaders committed to advancing effective multilateralism, including efforts to enhance the representativeness of international organisations such as the UN Security Council, while also pledging mutual support for international candidatures.
Indo-Pacific Vision and ASEAN Centrality
The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to freedom of navigation and overflight, adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, and the peaceful resolution of disputes in line with universally recognised principles of international law.
They also reiterated support for a free, open, rules-based, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific, and welcomed closer cooperation in implementing initiatives under the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).
The joint statement noted Anwar’s appreciation for India’s consistent support for ASEAN unity and centrality, while Modi commended Malaysia’s successful ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025 and thanked ASEAN member states for strengthening the ASEAN–India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Malaysia and India elevated their bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in August 2024, marking a significant step forward in deepening long-term cooperation between the two countries.
-wilayah.com.my
