Foreign minister heads to Washington to attend US‑hosted critical minerals meeting

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 2 — Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan will undertake a working visit to the United States (US) from February 3 to 4, at the invitation of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to attend the Critical Minerals Ministerial in Washington, D.C.

The Foreign Ministry, also known as Wisma Putra, said the visit presents an important opportunity to strengthen bilateral engagement between Malaysia and the US, particularly in the area of critical minerals cooperation, which is crucial for supporting sustainable economic growth, advancing technology development, and building resilient and diversified supply chains.

“During the visit, the Foreign Minister is also scheduled to meet with his counterparts to discuss areas of mutual interest, explore avenues for investment, joint research, innovation, capacity-building initiatives, and foster industrial collaboration in the field of critical minerals,” the ministry said in a statement on Monday.

According to Wisma Putra, the visit will further intensify efforts under the Malaysia-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which was elevated in October 2025.

It will also build upon the momentum of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Malaysian Government and the US Government concerning cooperation to diversify global critical minerals supply chains and promote investments.

“These efforts will advance sustainable and mutually beneficial collaboration in this strategically important sector,” it added.

In 2025, Malaysia’s total trade with the US increased by 13 per cent, reaching RM367.47 billion (US$85.88 billion), compared with RM325.16 billion (US$71.44 billion) during the same period in 2024, with exports growing by 17.2 per cent to RM233.08 billion (US$54.54 billion), while imports rose by 6.4 per cent to RM134.39 billion (US$31.34 billion). — Bernama