Putin hosts Malaysia’s King in first state visit to Russia since 1967

MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin met Malaysia’s King, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, at the Kremlin on Aug 6, as the two nations look to shore up ties amid shifting global alliances.

It is the first state visit of a monarch from Malaysia to Russia since diplomatic relations were established with the Soviet Union in 1967.

The visit highlights the deepening ties between Russia and Malaysia despite calls from the US and other leading democracies to punish Moscow for its

full-scale invasion of Ukraine

that began more than three years ago.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has visited Russia twice since coming to power in 2022, and has sought to become a member of the Brics group of developing nations that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The monarch’s six-day trip, from Aug 5 to 10, seeks to improve cooperation in sectors including trade, education and technology, according to a palace statement on Aug 2.

He is accompanied by Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

Malaysia has the potential to attract new investments and technology from Russia, particularly in the fields of energy, defence, aerospace and smart agriculture, Datuk Seri Anwar said in a Facebook post on Aug 4.

Sultan Ibrahim, the hereditary ruler of Malaysia’s southernmost state of Johor,

took the throne in 2024

for a five-year term under the country’s unique rotating monarchy.

He also has wide business interests, mainly through his shareholdings in various enterprises.

It is his fourth state visit after Singapore, China and Brunei. BLOOMBERG