Kuala Lumpur, February 7: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday highlighted the warmth and personal rapport shared with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, saying that the latter's gesture of personally receiving him at the Kuala Lumpur airport following his arrival and sharing a car ride reflected his "love and respect for India".

Addressing the Indian diaspora at a community event in the Malaysian capital, Prime Minister Modi expressed gratitude to PM Ibrahim for joining the celebrations and for his words on the future of India-Malaysia ties.

"The warmth of your greeting reflects the beautiful diversity of our shared culture. First of all, I thank my dear friend Anwar Ibrahim for joining the community celebration. I also thank him for his very kind words on the scale and future potential of India-Malaysia friendship in his speech just now," PM Modi said.

Highlighting the special welcome accorded to him, the Prime Minister added, "Not just that, he came to the airport to welcome me, and he brought me here in his car. Not only his car but also his seat; this special gesture reflects his love and respect for India and for all of you."

Prime Minister Modi is on a two-day visit to Malaysia from February 7 to February 8 at the invitation of his Malaysian counterpart. This marks his third visit to the Southeast Asian nation since 2015.

Addressing the gathering, PM Modi said the Southeast Asian nation holds a special place in India's foreign policy and recalled his commitment to visit the country, noting that he had not been able to do so for the ASEAN Summit chaired by the country last year.

PM Modi also noted that this was his first foreign visit of 2026.

"Last year, I could not visit Malaysia for the ASEAN Summit. But I promised my friend that I will come to Malaysia soon. As promised, I am here. This is my first foreign visit in 2026," the Prime Minister stated.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi was warmly received at the Kuala Lumpur airport by PM Ibrahim, along with Malaysian Minister of Human Resources Dato' Seri R Ramanan and Deputy Foreign Minister Dato' Lukanisman bin Awang Sauni. His arrival was followed by a vibrant cultural welcome highlighting the shared heritage of India and Malaysia.

The visit aims to further strengthen the India-Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in 2024 and deepen cooperation across political, economic, cultural, and people-to-people domains. (ANI)