Embassy of Malaysia Rome

On 15 June, Ms Nidyakala Manian, First Secretary, attended a meeting organised by the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) with representatives of foreign embassies in Italy.

The session, entitled “Italy’s Economic Outlook and Energy Dependency Challenges,” provided CDP Group’s perspective on key Italian macroeconomic dynamics, highlighting growth trajectories and structural economic constraints, as well as the implications of evolving energy dependency and economic considerations in light of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

The 181st Session of the FAO Council concluded at the FAO Headquarters on 12 June.

Throughout the session, Malaysia remained actively engaged and delivered six statements, including one regional statement on behalf of the Asia Regional Group. These statements ranged across various agenda items covering reports of the Regional Conference and Council Committees, programmatic, institutional and governance, as well as other procedural matters.

This marks Malaysia’s final Council session for the current term, which started on 1 January 2025. Malaysia will pass its Council seat to Thailand on 1 July 2026 for the next term, and return to the Council on 1 January 2028.

As Malaysia’s term as a Member of the FAO Council comes to an end, we are honoured to have contributed constructively to the Council’s work in advancing food security, sustainable agrifood systems, and effective governance within FAO.

On 4 June, Dato’ Zahid had an exchange with Mr. Ciro Maddaloni, Editor-in-Chief of Giornale Diplomatico, on a wide range of topics related to the strong and growing bilateral relations between Malaysia and Italy.

The full article will be published in Giornale Diplomatico on 15 June 2026.

At the ongoing 181st Session of the FAO Council on 11 June, Mr. Anwar Faiz, Assistant Agriculture Attache, delivered statements on behalf of the Asia Regional Group and for Malaysia, to reaffirm support for a Member-driven, inclusive and practical FAO reform process.

He highlighted the need to strengthen the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP), enhance transparency, governance and oversight, and advance reforms in human resources, digitalization and decentralization. Moreover, Malaysia reaffirmed its active engagement to ensure that the FAO remains fit for purpose and delivers meaningful impact towards a hunger-free world.

On 10 June, Ms. Emelia Tay, Agriculture Attache, delivered a statement at the 181st Session of the FAO Council on the Report of the 142nd Session of the Programme Committee. She reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to shaping FAO policies and programmes.

These include the importance of strengthening the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) and further analysis ob its future direction, resource allocation, and impact under the Medium Term Plan (Reviewed) 2026–29 and the Programme of Work and Budget 2028–29.

On Bioeconomy for Sustainable Food and Agriculture, she underscored the need for an inclusive, evidence-based, and Member-driven approach that supports food security, sustainable livelihoods, equitable benefit-sharing, and South–South and Triangular Cooperation.

The ASEAN Power Grid (APG) aims to link the national electricity networks of the ASEAN countries to enhance regional energy security, lower costs, and accelerate the transition to renewable energy.

On 8 June, Dato’ Zahid attended an event organised by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on opportunities for ASEAN-Italy cooperation on this initiative, through Italy’s world class industrial expertise, engineering and technology. The keynote was given by H.E. Satvinder Singh, Deputy Secretary- General for the ASEAN Economic Community.

Malaysia is making significant investments to upgrade its national power grid to improve efficiency, reliability, and resilience, and these efforts align closely with the objectives of the APG.

At the 181st Session of the FAO Council on 9 June, Ms. Emelia Tay delivered a statement on Global Food Security Challenges and Drivers, expressing continued concern over the worsening food security and humanitarian situation in Gaza and Sudan, and reiterating the need for immediate, safe and unhindered humanitarian access.

Malaysia also highlighted the importance of keeping international trade and navigation routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, open and uninterrupted to protect food supply chains, energy stability and agricultural livelihoods.

Malaysia is participating in the ongoing 181st Session of the FAO Council on 8-12 June 2026. The Council is convening against a backdrop of geopolitical shocks affecting global agrifood systems.

On 8 June, Dato’ Zahid was elected as a Vice-Chairperson of this session, and delivered a statement on the Programme Implementation Report 2024-2025. Malaysia called for greater quantitative evidence to demonstrate how FAOs programmes contribute to improved agricultural productivity, resilience, food security, and sustainable agrifood systems. Malaysia also called for better corrective measures being undertaken by the FAO to strengthen its delivery quality, effectiveness, and impact of its programmes, particularly for developing countries.

On 8 June, Ms. Nidyakala Manian, First Secretary, attended Eni’s Sustainability Presentation 2025 in Rome, where the company presented its 2025 results, with a focus on sustainability, and highlighted key findings from its latest sustainability report, Eni for 2025 – A Just Transition.

Eni is also a partner of PETRONAS in Searah, a recently established 50:50 joint venture combining selected assets in Malaysia and Indonesia, as part of a partnership-led approach to strengthen portfolio value, support sustainable energy development, and enhance Malaysia’s and the region’s energy security.

On 1 June, at the Quirinale Palace, Dato’ Zahid congratulated President Sergio Mattarella on the 80th Anniversary of the Italian Republic, and reaffirmed the strong and friendly relations between Malaysia and Italy.

Additionally, both Dato’ Zahid and Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani expressed satisfaction at the excellent state of bilateral relations and a desire to strengthen it further.