NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has suggested the establishment of a special mechanism between Putrajaya and Moscow to expedite the execution of all agreements reached between the two nations.
According to a note provided to Malaysian media, Putin agreed to the suggestion.
Both leaders also discussed about the import of Malaysian palm oil by Moscow and expediting direct flights between both countries during their meeting, held on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit here on Friday.
During the 20-minute discussion, Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, reiterated his appreciation for Russia’s support for energy cooperation with Malaysia.
In a social media post this morning, Anwar said the meeting, which began at about 11 pm, took place in a congenial setting and provided an opportunity for the two leaders to assess the progress of Malaysia-Russia relations and determine several concrete measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
“I raised the need to expedite efforts to realise the direct flights between Malaysia and Russia, as well as visa-free travel arrangements that were agreed to previously, in order to boost tourism, trade and investment between the two countries,” he said.
Regarding energy cooperation, the Prime Minister said both countries possess strengths and expertise that can be leveraged to expand cooperation in this strategic sector for mutual benefit.
It is to be noted that Petronas had engaged with Russian counterpart (Rosneft) and companies to advance collaboration in the sector.
Meanwhile, Russian news agency TASS quoted Putin as describing the 12.9 per cent growth in trade turnover between Russia and Malaysia last year as “a solid pace.”
“Last year, trade turnover between our countries grew by 12.9 per cent. That is a good pace,” he was quoted as saying.
The President emphasised that Moscow attaches great importance to contacts with Kuala Lumpur in the fields of education, science, technology, and tourism.
“During today’s conversation, we have the opportunity to discuss priority issues regarding our cooperation in all these areas,” the Russian leader noted, according to TASS.
Anwar arrived here Friday to attend the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Malaysia’s participation in the BRICS Leaders’ Summit is in its capacity as a BRICS partner country since Jan 1, 2025.
The meeting with Putin was Prime Minister’s first bilateral meeting here.
In 2024, total ASEAN-Russia trade amounted to US$18.1 billion, while Russian foreign direct investment in ASEAN totalled RM367.90 million (US$92.97 million).
For Malaysia, Russia was the country’s ninth-largest trading partner among European nations in 2025, with total trade valued at RM8.72 billion (US$2.04 billion).
Malaysia’s primary exports to Russia included electrical and electronic products, machinery, equipment and parts, and processed food, while principal imports consisted of petroleum products, minerals, chemicals and chemical-based products. — BERNAMA
