Russia Seeks To Boost Economic, Educational Links With Malaysia -- Ambassador

By Christine Lim

KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 (Bernama) -- Russia is keen to expand its cooperation with Malaysia across key sectors of the economy, including education, science, green energy and engineering, said Russian Ambassador to Malaysia Naiyl M. Latypov.

He noted that nearly 60 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries provide a solid foundation to further expand trade and investment, particularly in Malaysia’s food industry.

“Russia is one of the biggest producers of different kinds of agricultural goods,” he told Bernama in an interview after the award ceremony for a Malaysian participant in the 2025 International Youth Competition for Social Anti-Corruption Advertising “Together Against Corruption.”

Chia Xuan Tay, 18, a student at Johor Matriculation College, finished third in the Best Poster category for the 16-20-year-old age group in the annual competition organised by the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office, which attracted 30,657 entries from 45 countries last year.

Latypov said Russia would welcome Malaysia exporting tropical fruits such as mango, mangosteen and durian.

“Durian can be promoted to Russia as the king of fruits,” he noted.

He added that the first container of Russian turkey, which arrived in Malaysia just before Christmas last year, was sold out quickly.

“Now we are on our way to increasing the volume of Russian turkey, either raw or processed meat,” he said.

Latypov said bilateral trade, currently at about US$3 billion annually, has room for growth.

He said Russian enterprises could be established in Malaysia using Russian raw materials, including agricultural products, to serve both the domestic and ASEAN markets.

“We can produce food not only for the Malaysian market but for the whole of ASEAN,” he said, adding that Malaysia’s economic corridors could serve as a halal industry hub in the region.

He said several Russian companies have invested in Malaysia, including those in the information technology (IT) sector, as well as Orgkhim, which operates a facility producing green (non-carcinogenic) process oils for tyres and rubber in Johor Bahru.

On the education front, Latypov said 39 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) were signed last year between universities in Russia and Malaysia.

“I believe that we have a lot of work to be done ahead because we are very interested in this cooperation in this sphere (education). We are ready to share our experiences and knowledge in education,” he added.

He said about 700 Malaysians are studying in Russia, mainly in medicine and engineering, while about 50 Russians are studying in Malaysia.

On tourism, Latypov expressed hope for direct flights between Malaysia and Moscow.

“We are now working with Malaysian authorities on establishing direct flights between Malaysia and Moscow,” he said, adding that about 130,000 Russians visited Malaysia last year.

-- BERNAMA