KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 — Russia aims to increase the number of Malaysian students to the country, including through the Russian Government Scholarship Programme, said its Ambassador to Malaysia, Naiyl Latypov.

He said the programme’s quota for Malaysian students has been expanded from 20 to 40, reflecting the strong bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the field of education.

The ambassador said over 140 applications were received for the 2026/2027 academic intake after the closing date last month and the results are expected to be finalised around next week.

“Now we have about 700 Malaysians studying in Russia, it’s quite a big number. We would like more of them (students),” he said during a meeting with the media on Monday.

Latypov noted that Malaysians pursuing tertiary education in Russia mainly enrol in high-skill fields such as medicine and architecture.

According to the Russian Centre for Science and Culture (Russian House) in Kuala Lumpur, Russia has over 400 universities across 80 regions, offering up to 17,000 educational programmes.

Beyond education, Latypov said Russia is also working closely with Malaysian partners on halal-certification through the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) for its agricultural products, including lamb, beef and wheat.

“We are now working with our Malaysian partners to increase the export of halal products, not only turkey. Thanks to sanctions, Russia has become one of the biggest producers and exporters of agricultural goods now,” he said.

In December last year, halal-certified Russian turkey entered the local market, marking another milestone in Malaysia’s efforts to strengthen food security and its halal ecosystem. 

Meanwhile, commenting on Russia’s relations with the Global South, the ambassador said the country is satisfied with its strong ties with Malaysia, citing active political dialogue and close engagement across various sectors and levels.

Recalling developments last year, Latypov said bilateral relations reached a high point following a state visit to Russia by the His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, as well as an official visit by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, to Russia.

“We are quite satisfied with our relations (with the Global South), especially with Malaysia. We have a very active political dialogue, we have very good contacts in different spheres and different levels.”

“Some Russian ministers visited Malaysia last year and I hope we have some agreement and we will be able to fulfil all our arrangements for this year,” he added.

On the ongoing war in Ukraine, Latypov said Russia is ready to resume dialogue with Western countries and is seeking a diplomatic solution to bring peace to both nations.

“We are ready to speak with the United States and ready to resume our dialogue with Western countries, but only when they are ready for such kind of dialogue, as this dialogue should be completely mutually beneficial and equal,” he said.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which began in 2022, has now entered its fourth year, with rising casualities and widespread destruction affecting millions of civilians. — Bernama