The meeting took place during the official visit of the Malaysian Prime Minister to the Russian Federation.
Excerpts from the transcript:
Mikhail Mishustin meets with Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim
Mikhail Mishustin meets with Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim
Mikhail Mishustin meets with Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim
Mikhail Mishustin meets with Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim
Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim
Mikhail Mishustin meets with Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim
Mikhail Mishustin meets with Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim
Mikhail Mishustin: Good afternoon, Mr Anwar Ibrahim. Friends, welcome to the Government House of the Russian Federation.
This is your first official visit to Russia. Today, you are scheduled to meet with President of Russia Vladimir Putin. I am confident that the new agreements to be reached at the highest level will give a strong impetus to the development of Russia-Malaysia relations and cooperation.
During your visit, you will also take part in the International Economic Forum Russia − Islamic World in Kazan. This event has become an important platform for strengthening Russia’s economic and humanitarian ties with Muslim states.
Malaysia is a key partner for Russia in Southeast Asia. Our relations are based on the principles of friendship, mutual respect and consideration for each other’s interests.
We see great potential for expanding trade, economic and investment cooperation with Malaysia, particularly in energy, industry, transport infrastructure, the agro-industrial sector, and the digital economy.
I propose that we work together on new economic projects within the framework of the Joint Russian-Malaysian Commission, which is co-chaired on the Russian side by Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov.
In the humanitarian sphere, we pay special attention to training and education. More than a hundred cooperation agreements have been signed between Russian and Malaysian universities. We are developing new joint educational programmes and expanding inter-university partnerships and student exchanges.
We are also interested in strengthening cooperation in tourism. Malaysia is a very popular destination for Russian citizens. For example, in the first quarter of this year, 50,000 Russian tourists visited Malaysia.
Malaysia is included on the list of countries whose citizens are eligible for a unified electronic visa. It can be used for business and tourism, as well as for participation in scientific, cultural and sporting events.
We believe it is important to hold regular joint cultural events, including art and film festivals, to help the people of Russia and Malaysia learn more about each other’s history, traditions and culture.
Mr Anwar Ibrahim, I look forward to discussing the most important issues in Russia-Malaysia cooperation with you. And now, I am pleased to give you the floor.
Anwar Ibrahim (retranslated): Thank you, Prime Minister Mishustin.
It is a great pleasure to be here.
We are aware of your considerable efforts to develop the economy and advance constitutional reform. These efforts align with our own priorities and policies. We look forward to a constructive discussion of the issues you mentioned. We already have plans that focus on six or seven key sectors.
On behalf of my delegation, I would like to thank the Government of the Russian Federation and President Putin for this invitation.
As you may know, I have a deep appreciation for Russian culture, for its poets and writers, whose contribution to world culture is invaluable. I often read Anton Chekhov and listen to his works.
As you know, our priorities are finance, economic projects, trade and investment. At the same time, we are all human. Many works of Russian literature have been translated into our language – Pasternak, Tolstoy and other authors.
Our relations have made noticeable progress. Last year, I met with President Putin in Vladivostok, and since then, our policy has focused on strengthening bilateral relations with the Russian Federation across the board. We have stepped up our efforts now. We discussed energy, the digital transition, and transport. I know that there are certain constraints arising from the sanctions, but we hope that we will be able to bypass them. I also hope that the meetings planned for the next few days will be constructive and that we will settle any outstanding issues.
Russia places great emphasis on strengthening ties with countries such as Malaysia and ASEAN, which is a very important regional mechanism.
You know that our policy is guided by the principles of neutrality and the central role of ASEAN. We are completely independent, which means we get to determine what is best for our country.
This meeting follows a session of the joint Russian-Malaysian commission and talks between Minister Falkov and Minister Zambry. We will provide our list of priorities during the next meetings, because we all want to expedite the achievement of results. I fully agree with you on this. That is why I decided to accept this invitation and make sure that certain issues are being resolved.
You have accomplished a great deal in agriculture and related technology. In a few years, you have gone from a country that depended on imports to a country that is self-sufficient. We would certainly like to take advantage of your expertise.
I am not referring to one sector only; we would like this cooperation to encompass artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and, of course, investment.
Thank you very much again.
