Anadolu staff
10 June 2026•Update: 10 June 2026
Malaysia and Japan on Wednesday pledged to deepen cooperation in defense, economic development, energy security and emerging technologies.
This came as Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met with his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo.
Speaking at a joint news conference, Anwar thanked Japan for its longstanding friendship and support, describing discussions between the two leaders as “very productive.”
He said the talks covered defense and maritime security, strategic industries, energy transition, financial cooperation, human capital development, and regional issues.
Anwar reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to expanding maritime cooperation with Japan, including ongoing collaboration under Japan’s Official Security Assistance (OSA) framework and a memorandum on maritime safety and security.
Highlighting Japan’s role in Malaysia’s economic development, Anwar said the two countries are now expanding cooperation into artificial intelligence, semiconductors, critical minerals and resilient supply chains.
"Malaysia is now becoming the hub for semiconductor digital technologies, and we will, of course, be open, including collaboration in terms of critical minerals and resilient supply chains," he said.
Malaysia Petronas signed fresh agreement with JERA of Japan to supply up to 2 million tons of LNG a year for 20 years starting from 2028.
The two countries agreed to deepen cooperation on energy security, including liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies, as Japan seeks to diversify its energy sources amid tensions linked to the Middle East conflict, according to Kyodo News.
The two leaders also signed a coast guard cooperation document aimed at strengthening maritime security and advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific amid China’s growing regional influence.
Takaichi said they also discussed deepening cooperation on strengthening supply chains for critical minerals while working with like-minded countries and institutions.
This was first meeting between the two leaders since they held talks in Kuala Lumpur in October on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit.
The two sides also signed five memorandums of understanding in energy security, maritime safety and environmental sustainability.
