High-Level Visits Have Significantly Strengthened Malaysia-Russia Ties - Envoy

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Russia’s bilateral relations have advanced significantly this year, with high-level visits having boosted cooperation across various sectors, said Russian Ambassador to Malaysia Naiyl Latypov.

He said the state visit to Russia by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia, in August and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s official visit to Moscow in May had provided fresh momentum for collaboration.

During the visits, the leaders held talks on a wide range of issues, including peace, security, and mutually beneficial cooperation in Southeast Asia.

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He added that trade between the two countries is currently valued at around US$3 billion and expressed confidence that there is ample room for further growth.

“Our main task is to explore and utilise this potential to increase bilateral trade,” he told reporters after a commemorative evening to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II hosted by the Russian Embassy, here on Wednesday.

To strengthen bilateral ties, the ambassador said discussions are underway to reinstate direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Moscow, an initiative raised by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during his Moscow visit.

Latypov noted that there are still some issues to be ironed out, and voiced hope that flights could resume by 2026 to coincide with Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026).

“Malaysia has beautiful weather and clean seas. We need to do more to promote it in Russia, and at the same time, we are developing halal tourism facilities in Russia to welcome more Malaysians,” he said.

Meanwhile, Latypov said  Russia supports Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship and is committed to further developing ASEAN-Russia relations across various sectors.

“We highly appreciate Malaysia’s decision to become a partner country of BRICS. We are confident Malaysia will contribute significantly to strengthening ties between ASEAN,” he said. 

Latypov described BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as vital platforms for the Global South to defend national interests and maintain independence in policymaking.

He noted that developing countries had long been subjected to political and economic pressures from Western nations.

“From my point of view, BRICS is a very good platform for defending their national interests, not only to hear what Western countries are saying or doing, but to maintain independence in both foreign and internal policies,” he said.

While acknowledging calls for United Nations (UN) reforms, Latypov stressed that any changes must be achieved through consensus and ensure stronger representation for the Global South.

“Malaysia is a valued and time-tested partner for us, and we are ready to work with Malaysia and other Global South countries to enhance the UN’s role in safeguarding global peace and security,” he added.

-- BERNAMA