The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, received on Wednesday the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, at the Kremlin for conversations focused on economic cooperation amid Western sanctions.
The meeting took place two days after the UN Civil Aviation Agency held Russia for the Malaysia Airlines MH17 flight in 2014 on Ukraine. Despite the moment, Putin said the two countries were considering launching direct flights.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had told reporters that the International Organization of the Civil Aviation Organization (Icao) was an attempt to “derail” Ibrahim’s visit.
Putin said the conversations covered a “complete range” or bilateral and international problems, which resulted in “concrete plans” to deepen ties. He added that the next session of the Intergovernmental Economic Commission of Malaysia of Russia is scheduled for autumn.
Energy cooperation, including possible joint projects in nuclear gas and energy, stood out as a key area for future development.
Ibrahim, who is scheduled to attend the “Russian-Islamic World” forum in Tatarstán at the end of this week, invited Putin to the Asean summit in October.
Earlier on Wednesday, Ibrahim with Russian prime minister Mikhail Mishuustin, who pointed out “good opportunities” for cooperation in energy, industry, transport, agriculture and digital economy.
Ibrahim expressed the hope of overcoming barriers related to sanctions to economic cooperation and said that Malaysia aimed to learn from the change of Russia from the dependence of food importation to agricultural self -sufficiency.
Russia prohibited many imports of western foods in response to the sanctions imposed on its annexation of Crimea in 2014.
