00:00As geopolitical tensions reshape global trade, France is looking to Malaysia as a key partner in strategic industries, including rare
00:08earths.
00:09During his visit to Malaysia, French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness,
00:14Nicolas Forissier, says like-minded nations must forge long-term economic partnership rooted in mutual sovereignty
00:22in order to build a more resilient trade and supply chains.
00:25I think countries like Malaysia and France have to seize the opportunity of building more and more partnerships
00:35together with their companies, with the economic sectors, because our two countries are like-minded.
00:42We want rules-based systems. We defend the multilateralism. We don't want the jungle law.
00:51We want to be secured. We want to secure our trade, but also our supply chain, both of our countries.
01:00Our companies are asking for predictability. They are asking for diversification of the partnerships.
01:09If we build those kind of partnerships in the field of rare earths, as it is between Malacca and Carrester,
01:18it's precisely to build a partnership which is also a sovereignty partnership.
01:26This is what we are building, not only trade, not only industries, industrial process,
01:32not only technology transfer. We are going to do that. Carrester will transfer some technology to Malacca
01:40because we want this partnership to be a win-win again partnership.
01:44But it's also a way of building together part of our sovereignty, and this is absolutely necessary.
01:52On Monday, French firm Carrester announced plans to build a rare earth separation plant in Perak
01:59through a 10-year joint venture with local miner Malacca Mining.
02:03Forisier says the partnership could eventually supply up to 20% of global demand for heavy rare earths.
02:09He adds the project reflects a broader strategic partnership between France and Malaysia,
02:14spanning energy, defence, technology and AI.
02:18Meanwhile, addressing concerns over France's recent political turmoil,
02:22Farisier says Malaysian businesses should remain confident,
02:26stressing that France continues to be Europe's leading destination for foreign direct investment.
02:30On this question of politics, I mean the elections in 27, for the moment nobody knows what's going to happen.
02:38But I can tell you, the people of good sense in this country, I think we will win.
02:47Because the French people, they don't want to go in a totally uncertain situation, as well, extreme right or extreme
03:00left,
03:01they are not that confident.
03:03And even if it was not a central right candidate that was elected, I don't think that other candidates would
03:12change those fundamentals that make that France is attractive.
03:16So, the investors, whatever happens, they just have to seize that and they won't be disappointed.
03:27We are, for many reasons, structural reasons, we are the most interesting, attractive country for investors in Europe.
03:36In Europe, it's 450 million consumers with a high level of buying power, so it's very interesting.
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