MALAYSIA FIRM ON JUSTICE FOR MH17 VICTIMS - POL SEC

From Sharifah Hunaini Syed Ismail

KAZAN, May 15 (Bernama) -- Malaysia remains firm in its position to seek justice and resolution, particularly for the families and victims of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 tragedy, which was shot down over Ukraine in 2014, says Political Secretary to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Muhammad Kamil Abdul Munim.

He said, however, that Malaysia must also act wisely in handling the issue.

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According to him, the fact that the latest report by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which found Russia responsible for downing flight MH17, was released a day before the Prime Minister’s visit to Moscow, must be taken into account.

“I believe, as the Prime Minister mentioned yesterday, this matter should not be politicised. At this point, what matters most is how we can find ways and means to resolve the crisis or issue that has arisen,” he told Malaysian media covering the Prime Minister’s official visit to Moscow and Kazan, Tatarstan.

He noted that there had been calls for the Prime Minister to take a firm stand on the MH17 tragedy.

“In a closed-door meeting with President Vladimir Putin yesterday, the Prime Minister directly raised this issue,” he said.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Kamil described the first segment of the Prime Minister’s visit to Moscow as highly fruitful.

“The Prime Minister met with the Russian Federation’s Prime Minister, Mikhail Mishustin, and President Vladimir Putin, where several important matters were discussed, including volatile trade, as well as other issues.

“We have seen developments that could further strengthen and expand economic trade opportunities, including confirmation and finalisation of arrangements for direct flights by Russian carrier Aeroflot, which will soon commence operations from Moscow to Kuala Lumpur,” he said.

He added that this would further boost tourism between both countries, which has already seen a significant increase in visitor numbers between Russia and Malaysia over the past two years.

In addition, he said discussions on other sectors also showed positive progress, including in the halal industry.

“The Prime Minister also held meetings with industry players and saw great potential over the next five years. If all goes well, we could see investments valued between RM5 billion and RM10 billion in trade between Malaysia and Russia,” he said.

Meanwhile, Anwar is scheduled to attend the Gala Reception on the occasion of the XVI International Economic Forum “Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum 2025” at midnight Malaysian time.

The Prime Minister, who is on a four-day official visit starting May 13, arrived in Kazan today for the second segment of his trip, which concludes tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA