High relations: Russia will increase cooperation with Malaysia in the energy sector

Russian-Malaysian relations are on the rise, they are developing successfully and steadily, Vladimir Putin said after talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The politicians paid special attention to the growth of trade turnover: there are prospects in pharmaceuticals, nuclear medicine, oil and gas machinery and shipbuilding, agriculture. The Russian side also sees good opportunities in the field of peaceful nuclear energy. Work in BRICS and cooperation through ASEAN bring the positions of Moscow and Kuala Lumpur closer, experts interviewed by Izvestia believe.

Putin held talks with the Prime Minister of Malaysia

Celebrations and business events in Moscow on the occasion of May 9th have already taken place, but Vladimir Putin continues to host foreign leaders. On May 14, the Russian President held talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. In the leading Malaysian media, Ibrahim's meeting with Putin is called historic: it "opens a new era in relations between Malaysia and Russia." Ahead of the visit, the government stressed that Anwar Ibrahim would become the first Malaysian Prime Minister in 17 years to have an official guard of honor lined up in honor of his arrival.

"Malaysia is our long-standing, very reliable and significant partner. And in general, and in East Asia," Vladimir Putin said at the beginning of the meeting at the Grand Kremlin Palace. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established back in 1967. Anwar Ibrahim, in turn, called Russia a great friend. It is impossible not to note the general interest of the Malaysian politician in our country. For example, the prime minister has repeatedly admitted that he likes to read Chekhov and Akhmatova.

The speed of the visit organization is impressive. Sergei Shoigu extended an official invitation to Anwar Ibrahim during his trip to Malaysia in late February. Less than three months later, the Malaysian leader arrived in Russia. And these are clearly not the last meetings in the context of cooperation between the two countries. Vladimir Putin said that Sultan Ibrahim is also expected in Russia — he took the oath as the new king of Malaysia in January last year.

— Russian-Malaysian relations are on the rise, developing successfully and steadily, and both sides are sincerely interested in making such interaction even more meaningful and productive. There are all the necessary prerequisites for this," Vladimir Putin said after the talks.

The parties discussed both issues of bilateral cooperation and the current international agenda. Special attention was paid to trade cooperation, especially against the background of the turbulent situation in the global economy. Russia exports petroleum products, minerals, and fertilizers to Malaysia, while importing electronics, equipment, components, and food.

At the same time, the Russian president noted that "the trade turnover has dropped," although it exceeded $ 3 billion in 2024. Putin expressed hope that the intergovernmental commission would rectify the situation. According to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, nuclear medicine, as well as oil and gas engineering and shipbuilding, including high-speed hydrofoils and electric vessels, will become the basis for the growth of trade. Special attention is paid to the supply of agricultural products and mineral fertilizers.

The Russian president also saw prospects in the gas sector and in the field of peaceful nuclear energy. Putin called energy a key area of cooperation. In particular, the Malaysian oil and gas concern Petronas is part of Rosneft's share capital and is developing partnership with this company and Gazprom.

Malaysia is interested in Russian floating nuclear power plants, Alexey Likhachev, Director General of the Rosatom state Corporation, told Izvestia.

Tourism is still actively and continuously developing. The Head of the Russian Federation emphasized the attractiveness of the country for Russian travelers. Malaysia is currently considering an agreement on the introduction of a bilateral visa-free regime. Moscow and Kuala Lumpur are also working on launching direct flights.

Despite the importance of the topics discussed, the President's final statement was conducted in a relaxed and even relaxed manner at the end. Putin, in particular, said that during a tour of the Grand Kremlin Palace, Ibrahim showed St. Andrew's Hall with three thrones and asked the question: "One throne for the tsar, one for his wife, and the third, what do you think, for whom?". The Malaysian Prime Minister wittily replied: "For the second wife."

"This is the response of a true Muslim, a representative of Islamic culture," Putin said. According to the Russian president, the third throne was actually intended for the tsar's mother.

"I must say that our traditional values may not coincide in some ways. But the exchange of information is always useful for both sides," Putin jokingly remarked.

Where do the interests of Russia and Malaysia intersect

In general, the Malaysian leader has an extensive program planned in Russia. He has already spoken with his de jure counterpart— Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. In particular, the head of the Russian government proposed to work out new joint economic projects. "We see good opportunities for increasing trade, economic and investment cooperation with Malaysia, I mean energy, industry, transport infrastructure, the agro-industrial complex, and the digital economy," Mishustin said.

Anwar Ibrahim's visit also includes meetings with Russian businessmen, communication with representatives of the Malaysian diaspora in Moscow, and even a solemn speech at MGIMO. But the participation of the Malaysian leader in the Russia—Islamic World: KazanForum forum, which will be held on May 16-18 in the capital of Tatarstan, attracts special attention. The interest in such events is obvious: Muslims make up the majority of Malaysia's population — about 63.5%. Therefore, the development of cooperation with the Russian Federation, including through relations with representatives of the Islamic part of Russia, looks like a logical step. The Malaysian was personally invited to Tatarstan by the head of the republic, Rustam Minnikhanov. By the way, in August 2024, the Prime Minister of Malaysia was hosting a delegation from this republic. Anwar Ibrahim is traveling to Kazan for the first time and will be the main foreign guest of the upcoming forum, and the Malaysian delegation is the largest among the foreign ones.

Due to the arrival of the leader of a Muslim-majority country, the forum is likely to discuss the development of Islamic banking in Russia.

"Malaysia is the leader of the global Islamic banking. There are 14 standards for the management of Islamic financial institutions in this country. Thanks to this, the share of Islamic finance in the country's economy has doubled to 45%," Tatarstan Economy Minister Midkhat Shagiakhmetov said earlier.

The republic has already launched an experiment to attract financing on such terms. Experts note that the idea of issuing a bond loan under the canons of Sharia sukuk has been discussed for a long time. Perhaps it will be continued on the forum.

Cooperation with Malaysia through BRICS and ASEAN

Ibrahim had the opportunity to visit Kazan before. He was supposed to represent the country at the BRICS summit in October 2024, but then Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli went instead. However, this did not prevent Malaysia from joining BRICS as a partner state. Although a couple of years ago, the possibility of connecting this Asian country to the association was not particularly discussed.

The development of relations between Moscow and Kuala Lumpur, of course, provides broader opportunities for the Russian Federation through the Russia-ASEAN dialogue. Malaysia holds the chairmanship of the organization this year. In a conversation with Anwar Ibrahim, Vladimir Putin personally expressed the hope that with Malaysia's help, Russia's relations with ASEAN would develop. Malaysia, however, the development of cooperation with Russia also opens up new horizons, especially against the background of the US trade wars. The introduction of duties in the amount of 24% is unlikely to have a positive impact on the country's economy. Against this background, the search for "alternative" partners looks like a logical step.

— Malaysia's non-alignment policy and equidistant approach to the politics of the great powers make it a suitable BRICS member. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia is actively pursuing de-dollarization, which is synchronized with the emerging approach of Russia, China and India. As Chairman of ASEAN 2025, Malaysia is establishing ties with all its main dialogue partners, and Russia is one of the most important partners," Rahul Mishra, director of the ASEAN Center for Regionalism at the University of Malaysia, told Izvestia.

Kuala Lumpur appreciates cooperation with Moscow and its role in building a multipolar world, forming BRICS and other non-Western alternatives. And this became especially noticeable after Anwar Ibrahim came to power, Pavel Shaternikov, a researcher at the ICSA RAS Center for Vietnam and ASEAN Studies, noted in a conversation with Izvestia.

It is important for ASEAN to have many partners around the world, without focusing on cooperation with just one person. Therefore, we can say that the interests of Moscow and Kuala Lumpur overlap here - Russia is turning to the East, and Malaysia is diversifying its foreign policy, the expert concluded.