Meeting with Putin main agenda of Anwar's second-day Russia visit
MOSCOW: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is set to hold a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin today, marking the main agenda on the second day of his official visit to Russia.
The meeting is scheduled to take place at the Kremlin, starting at 1 pm local time (6 pm Malaysian time).
Both leaders are expected to discuss a range of bilateral issues and explore potential areas of collaboration between Malaysia and Russia, including trade, investment, agriculture and agri-commodities, education, aerospace, and energy.
The two leaders will also exchange views on regional and international developments of mutual interest.
In addition, the Prime Minister is also scheduled to meet with his Russian counterpart, Mikhail Mishustin, for another bilateral discussion.
Anwar is also slated to receive a courtesy call from the Grand Mufti of the Russian Federation, Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin, who is also the chairman of the Russian Religious Board of Muslims.
Leading a delegation of over 70 officials, Anwar arrived here yesterday to begin his four-day visit to Russia at the invitation of Putin. The Prime Minister was welcomed with an Honorary Guard of Honour upon landing at Vnukovo-2 International Airport at 6.26 pm local time (11.26 pm Malaysia time).
The Malaysian delegation includes Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan; Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu; Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Li Kang; Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir; and Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
In the morning, Anwar will attend a roundtable meeting with Russian captains of industry, involving 24 major Russian companies and two chambers of commerce. The discussion is expected to focus on strategic cooperation to enhance bilateral trade between Malaysia and Russia.
Ministers accompanying the Prime Minister will also participate in the meeting, which aims to foster stronger ties between the two nations.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
25 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
HSBC Survey: Malaysian firms turn inward amid rising trade pressures
KUALA LUMPUR: Around 42 per cent of Malaysian businesses have shifted their focus to the domestic market, prioritising local customers and minimising exposure to global uncertainties, according to HSBC's 2025 Global Trade Pulse Survey. This strategic pivot reflects efforts by companies to mitigate the effects of tariffs and other trade-related challenges on their operations. Among the 250 Malaysian firms surveyed, more than half flagged rising costs from tariffs and trade barriers as a key concern. To address ongoing supply chain disruptions, 37 per cent have already increased inventory levels, while another 49 per cent plan to do the same, signalling a broader push towards strengthening supply chain resilience. Despite the global uncertainties, optimism about international growth remains high among Malaysian businesses but they need external strategic advice on the matter. 91 per cent of them expressed confidence in their ability to grow international trade, surpassing the global average of 89 per cent. Encouragingly, 73 per cent of respondents believe that trade uncertainty has prompted their businesses to evolve and seek new opportunities. Meanwhile, more than half are actively seeking strategic advice on international expansion, business restructuring or supply chain realignment. Considering current trade dynamics, 61 per cent of the local businesses are adapting their trade strategy to significantly increase connections with China, followed by South Asia (55 per cent) and North Asia (44 per cent). 32 per cent of them plan to trade more with Europe and the United States. HSBC Malaysia chief executive officer and head of banking Datuk Omar Siddiq said the businesses in Malaysia continue to show resilience and adaptability in navigating the challenges posed by the uncertain tariff and trade landscape. "While supply chains may be further reconfigured, there continues to be strong potential for local companies to leverage Malaysia's strong trade ties, particularly in Asia. "Having said that, it is key to note that markets like the US remain key trade destinations for Malaysia for high-value sectors such as electronics and semiconductors," he said in a statement. The survey also pointed out that while managing cost remains a top priority for Malaysian businesses amid global uncertainties, many are seizing the opportunity to innovate and adopt new technology to boost operational efficiencies. HSBC said 64 per cent of Malaysian businesses have adopted new technology or digital platforms, while 48 per cent have developed new products and services. Other growth opportunities that the businesses are considering include shifting their focus to domestic or regional growth (57 per cent) and improving their internal efficiencies or changing their cost structures (54 per cent). The survey also indicates that during the current period of trade disruption, Malaysian businesses find cash and liquidity management as the most helpful form of support in managing working capital (64 per cent), followed by improved payment terms with buyers and suppliers (56 per cent) and supply chain finance (55 per cent). "With over 70 per cent of Malaysian businesses anticipating sustained cost increases from the impact of tariffs and trade uncertainty on the cost of doing business and businesses facing an average 18 per cent drop in revenue, the imperative for strategic adaptation is clear." "Despite uncertainties, the world is also full of opportunities. Navigating this climate requires not only agility but strong partnerships to ensure sustained growth in a shifting global economy," Omar added.
New Straits Times
25 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Bond rally slows in Malaysia amid cooling July rate cut bets
KUALA LUMPUR: Investor appetite for Malaysian bonds has cooled, with the market beginning to scale back expectations of a July interest rate cut, according to CIMB Securities. In a research note, it said the Malaysian Government Securities curve "extended its slide", with the yield on the 10-year benchmark rising 2.1 basis points to 3.55 per cent. The firm described the yield curve movement as a "bear-flattening", a pattern that typically signals reduced confidence in near-term monetary easing, as investors demand higher yields on longer-term bonds. In contrast, Indonesia's bond market continued to rally, with the 10-year government bond yield falling 2.8 basis points (bps) to 6.73 per cent, driven by "increasing expectations of back-to-back Bank Indonesia rate cuts." Although Malaysia's 10-year yield is down 26.2 basis points year-to-date, CIMB Securities said the local bond rally has been more moderate than those in Thailand and Singapore, where yields have declined by 55.5 and 54.6 bps, respectively. However, Malaysia is slightly ahead of Indonesia, whose 10-year yield is down 23.4 bps year-to-date. Lower bond yields generally indicate stronger investor demand on expectations that interest rates will fall, boosting bond prices. CIMB Securities maintained a base case that Bank Negara Malaysia will reduce its policy rate to 2.75 per cent by the third quarter, but market movements suggest investors may be growing cautious about a cut materialising in the July policy meeting. The regional bond rallies reflect broader sentiment that global central banks may soon shift toward easing. A softer-than-expected United States consumer price index for May has reinforced expectations that the US Federal Reserve will begin cutting rates this year, creating room for policy accommodation in emerging markets. Investor confidence in sovereign credit profiles also appears to be improving. Malaysia's five-year credit default swap (CDS), a measure of perceived default risk, has tightened by 12 basis points this year to 43 bps. Indonesia's CDS dropped eight bps to 73 bps, while Thailand's narrowed by two bps to match Malaysia's level.
New Straits Times
25 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Anwar: Govt may set up TVET commission
MELAKA: The government is mulling the proposal to establish a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Commission in line with the TVET reform agenda that is being actively implemented. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this was because the development of TVET under the National TVET Council, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, has shown encouraging results, including an increase in the number of students. "I appreciate the role of the TVET Council, but as those closely monitoring the sector's development, we must consider proposals such as establishing a dedicated commission for TVET, and we will assess this as swiftly as possible in response to the sector's evolving needs. "With the number of students and types of training increasing, I, together with the Finance Ministry, will look into whether current facilities are adequate and how to create synergy between government-linked companies, private sector players, and existing TVET institutions." Anwar said this when opening the National TVET Day 2025 celebration at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC), Ayer Keroh, here today.
