President Putin and Mahathir Mohamad noted the similarity of the two countries’ approaches to a broad range of international problems, regional conflicts and the leading role of the UN in the system of international relations.
The Russian President praised the foreign policy of Malaysia which commands high authority within the Non-Aligned Movement, which it chairs this year, and within the Organization of the Islamic Conference, which Malaysia will chair next year.
At the focus of the meeting were the prospects of bilateral relations in diverse areas, notably trade and economics and science and technology.
Vladimir Putin and Mahathir Mohamad noted that the current trade between the two countries fell short of their true potential and of the growing Russian and Malaysian markets. The two leaders urged the need to improve the structure of trade and to step up interaction, especially in the hi-tech areas.