Malaysia and Russia recorded another historic moment when the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim, agreed to hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, thus making him the first Malaysian head of state to visit Russia since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1967.
According to a Bernama report, Sultan Ibrahim expressed his appreciation for the official invitation while praising Putin's leadership, which he described as authoritative and steadfast in steering his country through various challenges.
His Majesty also expressed his pleasure at the reception given and considered the meeting with Putin in Moscow a great honour. He explained that the meeting had been a long-awaited one and expressed his highest appreciation to the Russian President for the invitation.
During the meeting, Sultan Ibrahim also expressed his confidence in the potential to strengthen bilateral relations between Malaysia and Russia in various strategic areas.
This visit is also seen as an important continuation of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's visit to Moscow last May, which saw calls for expanding cooperation in the fields of food technology, digital development, nuclear energy and military.
The meeting between Sultan Ibrahim and Putin is seen as a clear signal of the high commitment of both countries to drive diplomatic relations to a stronger, strategic and meaningful level.
