Anwar invited by Putin to Russia for economic cooperation talks

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok in the coming weeks.

According to Berita Harian, Anwar stated that the meeting is at Putin’s invitation to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries.

“In a few weeks, I will travel to Vladivostok on the outskirts of Russia to accept President Putin’s invitation to discuss economic collaboration.

“This places us among the nations that uphold our stance of neutrality, avoiding conflict with anyone.

“Our principle is clear: uphold freedom, reject oppression, and not allow any nation or group to oppress, insult, or harm our innocent citizens,” he said during the inauguration of GXBank’s headquarters and the launch of the center of excellence.

Also present were the Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI), Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, and Minister of Digital, Gobind Singh Deo.

Anwar stated that Malaysia has been vocal on the issue of Gaza due to humanitarian principles.

“There is no need to talk about freedom when one is blinded by extreme cruelty, regardless of whether the victims are Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist. We must remain firm without compromise,” he said.

Anwar noted that the government is adopting a more open approach to the economy by implementing open policies with all countries.

“Anything that can safeguard our nation and drive growth is welcome. We are open to frameworks that allow us to trade with all countries and uphold national security and economic interests.

“We maintain a stance of openness to friendship and trade with all, as long as we remain a free, independent, and sovereign nation.

“We maintain our traditional relations with the United States (US) due to investments, such as in early digitalization, with significant investments from the US and Europe.

“Additionally, we have explored and established a very special relationship with China, alongside traditional ties with Japan and Korea. This benefits us by having a clear policy, being friendly, and adopting a neutral stance,” he said.