Addis Ababa, September 12, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has met with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, with the two leaders discussing ways to expand economic cooperation and build on the momentum of Prime Minister Anwar’s historic visit to Addis Ababa in November 2025.
In a social media post following the meeting, Prime Minister Abiy said the discussions focused on expanding investment, tourism and renewable energy partnerships, as well as cooperation ahead of COP32.
The two leaders also explored opportunities for Ethiopia to learn from Malaysia’s experience in industrial parks, productivity and manufacturing, areas that could support Ethiopia’s efforts to strengthen productive capacity and accelerate industrial development.
Prime Minister Abiy said Ethiopia and Malaysia have significant potential to deepen their economic partnership and create new opportunities in investment, technology, skills and sustainable development.
The meeting adds fresh momentum to Ethiopia–Malaysia relations as both countries seek to translate high-level political engagement into practical economic cooperation and development partnerships.
The latest engagement also highlights how Ethiopia and Malaysia are using broader multilateral platforms, including BRICS, to renew and expand their bilateral relationship.
Their engagement on the sidelines of the New Delhi summit provides an additional platform for advancing shared priorities in investment, sustainable development, technology and cooperation among countries of the Global South.
The renewed momentum in bilateral relations has been reinforced by reciprocal high-level visits. Prime Minister Abiy’s official visit to Malaysia and Prime Minister Anwar’s historic visit to Ethiopia in November 2025 have helped strengthen political engagement while opening new avenues for economic cooperation.
Prime Minister Anwar’s visit to Addis Ababa marked the first visit by a Malaysian prime minister to Ethiopia and coincided with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The visit featured discussions on strengthening bilateral ties and expanding cooperation across a range of sectors.
The two countries have also advanced practical cooperation through agreements and exchanges covering areas including tourism, health, air services and bilateral consultations, while a high-level business forum provided an avenue for Ethiopian and Malaysian businesses to explore trade and investment opportunities.
The reopening of Malaysia’s Embassy in Addis Ababa in September 2025 further underscored the renewed importance attached to the relationship.
Beyond strengthening bilateral engagement, the diplomatic presence in Addis Ababa offers Malaysia a stronger platform for engagement with the wider African continent, given the Ethiopian capital’s role as the headquarters of the African Union.
The evolving Ethiopia–Malaysia relationship is thus increasingly moving from longstanding diplomatic ties toward a more practical and economically focused partnership, with investment, industrial development, technology, skills, tourism, renewable energy and sustainable growth emerging as key areas of shared opportunity.