“You have shown your determination to be able to undertake difficulties and survive, and we would certainly benefit from this experience,” Anwar said in a meeting with Putin on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.
The Malaysian prime minister has followed in the footsteps of other Asian leaders in meeting with Putin since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago, unmoved by the West’s condemnation of the Russian leader and his charges for alleged war crimes.
The decision to visit Russia, Anwar said, was “not an easy feat”, but it was “the right decision”.
Anwar said Southeast Asian countries belonging to the Asean bloc have always engaged with Russia and there is an “open trade” focusing on semiconductors and other related fields. “I look forward to work with you and your team, but more so, Mr. President, I agree with you. The potential is huge,” he said.
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Washington has been critical of smaller nations that have played host to Putin since Russia attacked Ukraine. The US Embassy in Hanoi earlier said “no country should give Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression and otherwise allow him to normalise his atrocities”, in response to Vietnam hosting the Russian leader this year.
Anwar accepted a personal invitation from Putin for Malaysia to participate in the October BRICS Summit in Kazan, marking a “significant step” toward Malaysia joining the grouping, he said in a Facebook post. It is “a clear testament to the importance Russia places on Malaysia”, Anwar added.
