KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is keen to increase enrolment for Malaysian students, particularly for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes, in Russia.
This was conveyed by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan during his bilateral meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, held on the sidelines of the 58th Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
Mohamad said that Malaysia and Russia also explored ways to enhance cooperation and ties in technical fields, as well as other areas of mutual interest.
“I expressed Malaysia’s interest in securing more placements for our students, and Russia has agreed,” he told reporters after the meeting, Bernama reported.
The two ministers also touched on broader regional cooperation, including Russia’s potential signing of the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ).
“Russia is considering signing the SEANWFZ treaty with Asean and the documentation will be negotiated at the official level,” said Mohamad.
Russia established relations with Asean in 1991.
The country became a full-fledged dialogue partner in 1996.
In 2018, the relationship was elevated to a strategic partnership.
In his remarks at the Asean Plus Three meeting, Mohamad said rising unilateralism and nationalism are increasingly sidelining multilateral cooperation – a core pillar of global stability now under strain.
“Today, we are once again being tested. The region is facing what might be called the perfect storm.
“The challenges are multi-fold, ranging from intensifying great power rivalry, economic fragmentation, technological disruptions and transboundary threats.”
Despite the difficulties, Mohamad expressed confidence in the region’s ability to overcome them through “collective steadfastness and strong commitment to dialogue and cooperation”.
Established in 1997 to address the Asian financial crisis, the Asean Plus Three framework has since evolved into one of the region’s most resilient models of cooperation.
Meanwhile, Asean foreign ministers hailed the Asean-Canada Free Trade Agreement (Acafta) as a vital platform to unlock deeper economic collaboration in digital trade, artificial intelligence, green technology and clean energy.
Wisma Putra said the sectors are seen as critical to the region’s sustainable and inclusive growth.
It said that ministers from across South-East Asia acknowledged the “positive momentum” in ongoing Acafta negotiations.
The deal, when concluded, is expected to serve as a key economic pillar within Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy, offering a framework to align regulations, foster innovation and enhance regional resilience.
