Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kazan, Tatarstan, discussing various avenues for bilateral cooperation. A key point of discussion was the potential to strengthen the energy sector, with Malaysia expressing appreciation for Russia's commitment to long-term cooperation in energy and oil supplies. They also explored mechanisms to expand bilateral trade and investment using local currencies, specifically the Malaysian ringgit and the Russian ruble, in an effort to facilitate transactions.
The leaders exchanged views on opportunities to enhance cooperation in emerging fields such as new technologies, cybersecurity, digitalization, artificial intelligence (AI), modern agriculture, and pharmaceuticals. Additionally, discussions covered efforts to ease the movement of people through visa liberalization between the two nations.
Anwar, who is also Malaysia's Finance Minister, stated that the MADANI government would continue strategic measures to bolster the country's energy security through international cooperation, ensuring stability and resilience of energy supplies. This visit was part of the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit held from June 17-18, where Anwar stressed the importance of strengthening connectivity, deepening economic cooperation, and seizing technological opportunities. Total ASEAN-Russia trade in 2024 amounted to $18.1 billion, with Russia's foreign direct investment in ASEAN recorded at $92.97 million. For Malaysia, Russia was its ninth-largest trading partner among European nations in 2025, with total trade valued at $2.04 billion.
