KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin when he visits Vladivostok "soon”.

Anwar said the meeting will be an opportunity to discuss trade between the two countries.

Putin had invited the Tambun MP personally, Anwar suggested today in a speech delivered the opening of GXBank’s main office here.

"I will soon visit Vladivostok... on the invitation of President Putin. We will then discuss economic cooperation. This makes us among countries that defend our freedom and adopt a position that treats no one as foes,” the prime minister said.

Malaysia has applied to join the Brics organisation. Anwar also met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at Seri Perdana in Putrajaya during the latter’s two-day official visit to Malaysia last week.

China, one of Malaysia’s biggest trading partners, is among existing members of the economic bloc and has supported the application to join the group that previously said it was pausing new admissions for now.

The organisation was founded by Russia, China, India and Brazil 15 years ago. It has since welcomed several emerging economies, including South Africa in 2010 and more recently Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates.

Anwar said today Malaysia will continue to maintain an "open policy” and trade with "everyone”.

"Our national policy is an open policy,” the Tambun MP said.

"Anything that will save our people and country. Whatever it takes to spur growth and anything to enable frameworks that would allow us to trade with all countries while preserving peace and our economy, we will be open (to it).”

Foreign relations experts and international trade analysts said Brics looks to rival groups like the G7, but some have warned that membership bid could involve Malaysia in the geopolitical rift between the West and countries like China and Russia.