Darren O'Rourke
Ceist:186. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has met with the Malaysian ambassador to Ireland to date in 2025. [13926/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 25 March 2025
Ceisteanna (186)
Freagraí scríofa
I have not yet had occasion to meet the Ambassador of Malaysia to Ireland, His Excellency Wan Aznainizam Yusri Wan Abdul Rashid, in 2025. However, my officials have excellent ongoing engagement with the Ambassador and his team.
Malaysia and Ireland share a warm bilateral relationship, based on many decades of business and trade links, engagement between our governments and strong connections between the people of Ireland and Malaysia. There is a particular connection through higher education, especially medical education. A large number of Malaysian students are currently studying in Ireland, and there are also strong connections between a number of our higher education institutions. For example, RCSI and UCD have a shared overseas campus in the city of Penang.
Diplomatic links between Ireland and Malaysia are also strong. Ireland’s Embassy in Kuala Lumpur opened in 1995 and was Ireland’s first Embassy in South-East Asia . The current Irish Ambassador to Malaysia is Ms. Orla Tunney. The Embassy of Malaysia in Dublin opened in 2001, and was the first resident Embassy of a South East Asian county in Ireland. Senior Irish and Malaysian diplomats are in regular contact, and in November 2024 a delegation from my Department led by our Director General for Asia-Pacific met in Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia counterparts for comprehensive bilateral consultations, where a full range of political, trade, and people-to-people issues were discussed.
The Government’s Asia Pacific Strategy outlines our commitment to enhancing and strengthening our relationships in South-East Asia, including with our longstanding partner Malaysia. The year 2025 is particularly significant, with Malaysia holding the Chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
I look forward to continued strong engagement with Malaysia this year and in years to come.