PM Anwar, Putin agree to establish mechanism to fast-track Malaysia-Russia deals

On September 12, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a bilateral meeting during the 18th Brics Leaders' Summit in New Delhi. During their 20-minute discussion, Anwar suggested the creation of a specialized mechanism to streamline agreements between Malaysia and Russia. Putin agreed to this proposal.

Both leaders also talked about boosting Malaysian palm oil imports into Russia and accelerating direct flights between the two nations. Anwar, who also serves as Finance Minister, expressed gratitude for Russia's support of energy cooperation with Malaysia. Rosneft and other Russian companies have been working alongside Petronas to advance this collaboration.

The Russian press agency TASS reported Putin describing the 12.9% growth in trade turnover between Russia and Malaysia last year as "a solid pace." He highlighted the importance of bilateral contacts in education, science, technology, and tourism. Anwar was in India to attend the Brics Leaders' Summit, which Malaysia joined as a partner country starting January 1, 2025.

In 2024, Asean-Russia trade reached US$18.1 billion, with Russian foreign direct investment in Asean totaling RM367.90 million (US$92.97 million). For Malaysia, Russia was the ninth-largest trade partner among European countries in 2025, with trade valued at RM8.72 billion (US$2.04 billion). Primary Malaysian exports to Russia included electrical and electronic products, machinery, equipment, and processed food, while the main imports were petroleum products, minerals, chemicals, and chemical-based products.