VLADIVOSTOK, Sept 4 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has arrived in Vladivostok for a two-day working visit to the largest seaport city in Russia’s far east region.

The aircraft carrying Anwar landed at Vladivostok International Airport at 8.33 am local time (6.33 am Malaysian time).

He was accompanied by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Aziz, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, Deputy Economy Minister Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib, as well as Agriculture and Food Security Deputy Minister Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup and senior officials.

Upon arrival, the prime minister was received by the Malaysian Ambassador to Russia Datuk Cheong Loon Lai, while on the Russian side were the Director of the Third Asian Department Ludmilla Vorobieva, Vice-Governor of Primorskii region Aleksei Nazdratenko and Vice-Mayor of Vladivostok Daria Stegniy.

Anwar, who is also finance minister, will attend the 9th Eastern Economic Forum (9th EEF), which runs from Sept 3 to 6. He will address the plenary session of the EEF on Sept 5.

The highlight of the visit will be the bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which Anwar is expected to reiterate Malaysia’s interest in joining the BRICS intergovernmental organisation as Russia is currently holding BRICS chairmanship.

On July 28 this year, Anwar said Malaysia had sent an application to Russia to join the BRICS intergovernmental organisation following the courtesy call made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on that day.

Earlier on June 18, Anwar confirmed Malaysia’s intention to join BRICS to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Anwar’s bilateral meeting with Putin here will provide an opportunity for both leaders to take stock of and discuss bilateral relations, including trade and investment, higher education, technical and vocational education and training (TVET), agriculture and food security as well as tourism, and explore collaboration in new areas such as aerospace and advanced technologies.

Both leaders are also expected to exchange perspectives on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Middle East situation and discuss cooperation within the context of the ASEAN-Russia Dialogue Partnership.

During the visit, Anwar is also expected to meet with Deputy Mufti Rushan Hazrat Abbyasov, who is the first deputy chairman of Russia Muftis Council and Religious Board of Muslim, and receive a courtesy call from Rais (Head) of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov.

This visit marks Anwar’s maiden trip to Russia since assuming office in November 2022.

In 2023, Russia was Malaysia’s 8th largest trading partner among European countries, with total bilateral trade increasing 15.6 per cent year-on-year to RM14.22 billion (US$3.1 billion), compared to RM12.3 billion (US$2.79 billion) recorded in 2022. — Bernama