Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot made his first official visit to Malaysia since taking office in February 2025, holding talks on July 2 and 3 in Kuala Lumpur [1, 2, 3].

During the visit, Prévot met with Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Transition Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof to discuss cooperation in renewable energy, rare earth elements, the halal industry, and Malaysia–EU relations [1, 2, 3].

Prévot stressed Belgium’s interest in technology transfer in the rare earth mineral sector rather than importing raw materials. He said, "We do not intend to import products coming from the critical minerals in Malaysia because according to the discussion I have had with the authorities, they would like to avoid to export such critical materials" and added, "there exists a room for cooperation between the expertise that Belgians have and the needs of the Malaysian authorities on this issue" [4, 5].

Malaysia is the third-largest supplier of rare earth elements to the European Union after China and Russia, providing 23% of EU imports or about 3,500 tonnes in 2025. Malaysia bans exports of raw unprocessed rare earth minerals and focuses on refined exports, aligning with its resource protection policies [4, 5].

Bilateral trade between Malaysia and Belgium reached RM9.74 billion in 2025, with Malaysian exports accounting for RM6.85 billion and Belgian imports at RM2.89 billion. Belgian investments included 67 projects approved in Malaysia involving RM5.1 billion and potentially creating 4,605 jobs [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].

Prévot noted Malaysia is a key exporter of refined petroleum to Belgium, totaling RM317 million in April 2026 [4, 5]. He also emphasized maritime security, saying, "Like most Asean countries, we (Belgium) are also a maritime nation. So, it is really important to respect such international law," highlighting free and open access through the South China Sea and Strait of Hormuz [5].

On July 2, Prévot delivered the keynote address titled "Europe and a Changing Asia Pacific" at the 39th Asia-Pacific Roundtable hosted by the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia [1, 3, 4, 5].

He also had an audience with the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah during the visit [2, 3].

Prévot departed Malaysia on July 3 from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, concluding his two-day working visit [1].