KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s king will make a landmark visit to Russia next week and meet with President Vladimir Putin, as both countries look to forge deeper bilateral ties amid shifting global alignments.
Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar’s trip from Tuesday (Aug 5) to Aug 10 is at Putin’s invitation, the palace said in a statement on Saturday. It will be the first state visit by a Malaysian monarch to Russia since diplomatic relations were established between the two countries in 1967.
“This visit also reflects the important role of the Malaysian monarchy in advancing the nation’s diplomacy,” said Istana Negara, adding that it could also open new avenues for cooperation in areas including trade, technology and higher education.
Sultan Ibrahim will be accorded a state welcome ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow, followed by a meeting with Putin on Aug 6. The Malaysian king will also attend a state banquet hosted by the Russian leader, said Istana Negara.
The Kremlin said in a statement on Saturday that the further development of Russia-Malaysia relations, as well as “a number of international and regional issues”, will be on the agenda during the talks.
After Moscow, Sultan Ibrahim will travel to Kazan in Tartarstan, one of Russia’s autonomous republics with a Muslim-majority population. While there, he will meet with local leaders and tour a helicopter manufacturing and assembly facility, said Istana Negara as reported by national news agency Bernama.
As the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Malaysia will also play a major role in enhancing strategic cooperation, especially in the context of Russia’s status as an ASEAN dialogue partner since 1996, the palace added.
The Malaysian monarch’s upcoming historic visit to Russia comes on the heels of recent exchanges between both countries, including visits and overtures by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar has made three visits to Russia over the last two years, with his most recent trip taking place in May. Beyond looking to expand bilateral cooperation, he has also been pushing to strengthen ties between Russia and ASEAN.
Anwar has invited Putin to attend the ASEAN summit in October, but it’s unclear if the Russian leader will turn up given his arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Malaysia is not a signatory to the ICC.
Analysts previously told CNA that Anwar’s decision to bolster ASEAN-Russia ties could unsettle some member states and dialogue partners, including the United States and other Western nations.
Read the full article here
