Source TOI
NEW DELHI — Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim over breakfast on Sunday, September 13, 2026. The high-profile engagement took place on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in the national capital.
The leaders discussed bilateral ties between India and Malaysia alongside key global and regional developments.
A Meeting Between “Good Friends”
The Indian National Congress shared photographs and videos of the interaction, showing Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Prime Minister Ibrahim engaged in discussions.
Following the meeting, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim took to social media to highlight their cordial ties:
“Had the opportunity once again to meet my good friend, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Indian Parliament, Rahul Gandhi, this morning over breakfast. This brief meeting provided space for us to exchange views on the latest international and regional developments.”
Rahul Gandhi also shared images via his official channels, noting that they had a warm and engaging conversation regarding mutual cooperation and international affairs.
Strategic Context and Diplomatic Precedence
The breakfast meeting followed formal bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Anwar Ibrahim a day earlier on the margins of the summit. Government-level discussions between India and Malaysia focused on:
Key Sectors: Semiconductor manufacturing, infrastructure development, and bilateral trade facilitation.
Security & Energy: Strategic defence partnerships, clean energy transition, and critical minerals.
Diplomatic Footprint: Malaysia’s agreement to the setup of an Indian consulate general in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
Malaysia participates as an official partner country in the BRICS grouping and serves as a vital strategic partner for India within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) framework.
This interaction marks a continuing personal and diplomatic rapport between Ibrahim and the Congress leadership, following his earlier official visit to New Delhi in August 2024 and his historic ties with Indian leadership across party lines.
