Двусторонние отношения со страной Малайзия en
RUSSIA-MALAYSIA RELATIONS
Diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and Malaysia were established on April 3, 1967.
In 2003, President of Russia Vladimir Putin visited Malaysia twice (an official visit in August, and participation in the Organisation of the Islamic Conference Summit in October). In December 2005, Vladimir Putin met with Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as part of the first Russia-ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.
In 2005, King of Malaysia Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail paid a private visit to St Petersburg. In June 2007, Ahmad Badawi paid an official visit to Russia.
In March 2011, former Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir bin Mohamad visited Moscow. In November 2011, Dmitry Medvedev had a conversation with Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting in Honolulu.
Vladimir Putin and Najib Razak also met during the APEC summits in Vladivostok (2012), on Bali, Indonesia (2013) and in Beijing (2014). The Russian President and the head of the Malaysian government met on the sidelines of the 20th Russia-ASEAN summit on May 19, 2017 in Sochi.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev had a meeting with the Prime Minister of Malaysia in November 2015, on the sidelines of the East Asian Summit in Kuala Lumpur.
Betweenn July 12-16, 2016, Najib Razak paid a private visit to Moscow and St Petersburg.
King of Malaysia Sultan Muhammad V paid private visits to Russia in April and July 2017.
Russian and Malaysian foreign ministries maintain close contacts. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia in 2005 (twice), 2010, 2013 and in August 2015. In July 2013, Foreign Minister of Malaysia Anifah Aman came to Russia on a working visit. Regular consultations are held at the level of heads of the relevant Foreign Ministry departments: on contacts between the two countries’ parliaments, public and political organisations and regions, on Islamic issues (2007), anti-terrorism efforts (2011), inter-civilisational dialogue (2012), and the UN Security Council matters (March 2015). In 2012 and 2013, consultations between deputy foreign ministers were held in Malaysia. In July 2017, Foreign Minister of Malaysia Anifah Aman paid a working visit to Moscow.
Inter-parliamentary contacts are growing. In January 2010, Speaker of the Federation Council Sergey Mironov paid an official visit to Malaysia. Chairman of the Malaysian Senate Zaini Ujang visited Moscow in September 2011. In March 2016, Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko paid an official visit to Malaysia. On September 21-24, 2016, the newly elected Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of Malaysia, Vigneswaran Sanasee, paid an official visit to our country.
Valentina Matviyenko also met with Zaini Ujang on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum in Vladivostok (January 2013) and Ecuador (January 2015).
In February 2013, a delegation of the Russian State Duma, led by Chairman of the Committee on Economic Policy, Innovative Development and Entrepreneurship Igor Rudensky, visited Malaysia.
In September 2015, a delegation of the Russian Federal Assembly led by the Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, Andrey Klimov took part in the 36th General Assembly of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly.
A parliamentary delegation of Malaysia, led by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Ronald Kiandee, attended the 41st plenary session of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly (St. Petersburg, November 27 - December 2, 2014).
Political parties of the two countries also maintain contact. In 2004, a delegation of the United Russia party took part in the 55th congress of the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) in Kuala Lumpur. In April 2005, UMNO delegation paid a return visit to Moscow, during which a protocol on inter-party cooperation was signed. In 2008, 2009 and 2011 representatives of UMNO attended United Russia conventions as guests.
There is also interaction between the two countries’ judiciaries. Between May 15-16, 2017 Chief Justice of Malaysia Arifin bin Zakaria visited Moscow and also took part in the 6th St Petersburg International Legal Forum and the international conference, Modern Constitutional Justice: Challenges and Prospects (May 17-21, 2017).
Interregional exchanges are consolidating. In January 2013, President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov visited Kuala Lumpur; in September 2014, a business delegation of Tatarstan headed by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Communications, Roman Shaykhutdinov, visited Malaysia.
In September 2014, former Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir bin Mohamad made a private trip to the Chechen Republic.
Between July 25-29, 2017, Russia’s Minister of the Interior, General of Police Vladimir Kolokoltsev, visited Malaysia to attend the 36th ASEANAPOL Conference.
According to Russia’s Federal Customs Service, in 2016, bilateral trade increased by 12 percent, amounting to $2.2 billion, with Russian exports accounting for $972.1 million (up 56 percent), and imports for $1.204 billion (down 8.1 percent). Between January-May 2017, mutual trade shrank by 5.2 percent compared to the same period in 2016, to $670.8 million. Exports over that period amounted to $153.1 million (down 41.3 percent), and imports to $513.7 million (up 15.8 percent).
Oil and other commodities accounted for the bulk of Russian exports (75.1 percent), followed by chemicals (11.8 percent), aluminum and aluminum products (3.5 percent).
Malaysia mainly supplied electric machines and equipment (62.1 percent), rubber (17 percent), foodstuffs and agricultural produce, including animal and vegetable fats and oils (16.1 percent).
In November 2015, an agreement was signed in Kuala Lumpur on the establishment of a Joint Malaysia-Russia Commission for Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation (ESTC). The Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov was appointed to co-chair the intergovernmental commission.
Malaysia’s Rimbunan Hijau Group has been successfully investing in the development of the timber and woodworking industry in the Khabarovsk Territory for a decade. Its fibreboard facility annually produces more than 600,000 cubic meters of material.
In January 2014, Russia’s Uralkali and the Federal Land Development Authority of Malaysia opened a joined potash fertiliser supply company that serves Malaysian state plantations.
Kaspersky Lab is successfully working on the Malaysian market, providing up to 40 percent of all antivirus software.
The Business Council for Cooperation with Malaysia (BCCM) was established in Russia in July 2013. It is headed by vice-president of Irkut Corporation Vladimir Sautov.
In March 2016, the BCCM and the Institute of Strategic and International studies (ISIS) Malaysia signed an agreement to set up a joint Russian-Malaysian Business Council in Kuala Lumpur. BCCM plans to open a representative office in Malaysia before this year’s end.
Between 2014-2015, a delegation of Rusatom Overseas held several rounds of negotiations with the leadership of state and commercial agencies of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur for possible participation in the construction of nuclear power plants in that country.
In May 2015, 17 promising Russian high-tech projects developed by seven Russian companies from five regions were presented at the 26th International Invention, Innovation & Technology Exhibition (ITEX) in Kuala Lumpur and received high awards from the organisers.
Relations are developing in the sphere of education, culture and tourism. Russian universities are training about 3,000 Malaysian students on a contract basis, mainly for medical and engineering professions.
A Russian Centre of Science and Culture opened in Kuala Lumpur in 1981.
Russian music and art groups regularly perform in Malaysia. More than 40,000 Russian tourists visited the country in 2015.
The main Christian cemetery in Georgetown, the capital of the state of Penang, and the nearby island of Jerejak have memorial graves in tribute to the memory of the sailors from the Russian cruiser Zhemchug (Pearl) killed near the shores of Penang during the First World War (October 28, 1914).