Overview

• The Malaysian palace confirmed on August 2 that Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar will visit Russia from August 5 to 10, making him the first reigning monarch from Malaysia to undertake a state visit to Moscow.
• He is scheduled to meet President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on August 6 for talks on bilateral relations, followed by a state banquet.
• The king will tour an automotive technology development company and the Tochka Kipeniya Technology and Innovation Hub in Moscow before traveling to Kazan on August 8 to visit a helicopter manufacturing facility.
• The trip follows Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s May 14 Kremlin meeting in which Putin personally requested the king’s invitation to underscore Moscow’s commitment to stronger ties.
• Malaysia aims to expand its collaboration with Russia in trade, education, technology and defense despite its prior condemnation of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.