After the meeting, Sultan Ibrahim and Putin exchanged commemorative gifts in St. Andrew’s Hall and attended a state banquet hosted by the Russian president in the Granovitaya Chamber, one of Moscow’s oldest preserved secular buildings dating back to the 15th century.
Earlier in the day, Sultan Ibrahim paid his respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Alexander Garden, near the Kremlin Wall.
After Moscow, Sultan Ibrahim will travel to Kazan in Tatarstan, 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.
As the current chair of 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 historic visit to Russia comes on the heels of recent exchanges between both countries, including visits and overtures by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
This was Sultan Ibrahim’s fourth state visit, after Singapore, China and Brunei.
Meanwhile, Anwar has made two 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) for the alleged illegal deportation of Ukrainian children during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. 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
