Malaysia-Russia Visa-free Travel, Direct Flights Should Be Expedited - Anwar

From Nurul Hanis Izmir

KAZAN, June 18 (Bernama) -- Visa-free travel facilities and direct flights between Malaysia and Russia need to be expedited to boost the number of Russian tourists visiting Malaysia, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.

Speaking to Malaysian media at a press conference following his two-day working visit for the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit here, Anwar said the number of Russian tourists visiting Malaysia remained low compared with other countries that enjoy good relations with Moscow.

“You see, there are five million tourists (from Russia) annually to Türkiye, two million to Thailand. Fair. But why only 100,000 to Malaysia?

“Issue of flights, issue of payment, the form of payment that makes it very difficult. Sometimes we are too stuck with old procedures, archaic, and too concerned about what some other countries may respond or react negatively,” he said.

Anwar said similar issues also affected other countries, including Iran, and should not be constrained by concerns over how certain countries might react.

“Thailand continues to receive Russian tourists and maintains good relations with Europe and the United States. Why is this not happening here, and why are we not providing the necessary facilities to Russia, or even Iran, for that matter?” he said.

Anwar said he had raised the matter in Cabinet several years ago, but the process had yet to be finalised.

“I have discussed it with Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani and Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Nasir. Probably we will take the lead at the next Cabinet meeting, give them a few weeks and just get it done,” he said.

He also questioned the difficulty in establishing direct flights between Russia and Malaysia when flights to other countries were operating smoothly.

“You know, flights. There are flights from Russia to Thailand. Why is it so difficult for them to come to Malaysia? We are an independent country, and we talk about ASEAN centrality,” he said.

According to Anwar, Malaysia understands the sensitivities involved and will continue to abide by international laws and regulations.

“Of course, we understand the sensitivities. We will not violate what has been agreed upon, the rules or the laws. Certainly, we respect them. If they are international sanctions decided by the United Nations, yes. But we should not be overly concerned about unilateral sanctions imposed by some countries. Right?” he added.

It was reported that Russia aims to abolish visa requirements for citizens of Indonesia, Malaysia and Kuwait in 2026.

Nikita Kondratyev, the director of the Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects at the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, said Malaysia and Indonesia were among the country's key priorities this year.

-- BERNAMA