Moscow: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof today commenced his official working visit to the Russian capital with a bilateral meeting with his counterpart, Alexei Overchuk. Fadillah, who also serves as the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, was joined by Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin and Malaysia’s Ambassador to Russia Datuk Cheong Loon Lai.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the meeting took place at the White House Moscow and focused on current bilateral trade and the exploration of new cooperation opportunities. Key areas of interest included the energy sector, technology transfer, education, and training. The session also saw participation from Russia’s Deputy Minister of Energy, Evgeny Petrovich Grabchak, and Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Vladimir Ilichev.

Fadillah’s visit follows Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s official visit to Russia from May 13-16, aiming to further deepen and enhance the collaborative relationship between Malaysia and Russia. The diplomatic ties between the two nations have been in place since 1967.

In 2024, Russia ranks as Malaysia’s ninth-largest trading partner among European countries, with trade value reaching RM11.46 billion (US$2.48 billion). Malaysia primarily exports electrical and electronics products, machinery, equipment and spare parts, as well as processed food to Russia.