From Sharifah Hunaini Syed Ismail
MOSCOW, May 14 (Bernama) -- Malaysia must be prepared to seize emerging opportunities in trade and cooperation, particularly if geopolitical tensions between Russia and the United States ease in the future, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said.
He said Russia presents vast untapped opportunities due to its diverse resources and technological strengths, including in agriculture and other sectors.
“Malaysia and Russia have long-standing relations, but they haven’t flourished as much as they could have due to unilateral sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States,” he said.
“There is much potential here, and we must be ready to explore these opportunities. Should US-Russia relations improve, we need to be positioned to benefit from it.
“Washington’s current approach differs from (administrations) before, and I believe if ties normalise, Malaysia stands to gain significantly,” he said when speaking at a dinner with Malaysians in Russia on Tuesday.
The dinner event was held in conjunction with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s official visit to Russia, which began on Tuesday.
Also present were Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu; Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang; Minister of Higher Education Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir; and Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
In his speech, Mohamad also encouraged Malaysian students in Russia to uphold the nation’s good name and return to contribute to Malaysia, particularly in critical sectors such as medicine and engineering upon completing their studies.
Echoing the sentiment, Chang stressed the importance of skilled talent to drive Malaysia’s ambition of becoming a high-tech nation by 2030.
“With global uncertainties, it’s a challenge to attract high-quality, technology-driven and capital-intensive investments. We need a highly skilled workforce, both locally and from Malaysians abroad like all of you here,” he said.
Mohamad emphasised the importance of food security, urging students abroad to explore and adopt modern and innovative technologies to ensure sufficient food supply in Malaysia.
“Take China as an example. They have made great strides in agricultural and technological innovation and are now capable of competing with other global powers,” he said.
Zambry, meanwhile, said that the Higher Education Blueprint 2025–2035, aimed at transforming Malaysia’s higher education system to align with current technological and global trends, is expected to be launched by the end of this year.
In his brief speech, Johari informed that he has been appointed as Coordinating Minister for Russia, a role aimed at facilitating trade engagement with Russia amidst ongoing sanctions.
The Prime Minister arrived in Moscow on Tuesday for a four-day official visit, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The visit includes key engagements in Moscow and Kazan, Tatarstan.
-- BERNAMA
