KAZAN, June 17 — From Asean-Russia cooperation and energy security to Russian literature and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim fielded a wide range of questions from international media on the sidelines of the Asean-Russia Business Forum here.
At the heart of the discussion was the future of Asean-Russia relations, with Anwar describing the potential for cooperation as far greater than current levels of engagement.
Speaking at the forum earlier, he said platforms such as the Asean-Russia Business Forum help foster greater understanding and collaboration between both sides.
“The potential is enormous,” he said, noting that while Asean has longstanding economic ties with partners such as the United States, China and India, cooperation with Russia remains largely untapped.
Anwar said closer collaboration could be pursued in areas including energy security, cybersecurity, agriculture, digital technology, scientific research and higher education.
He also highlighted Tatarstan’s rapid development in areas such as technology, science, research, education and defence, saying this offered opportunities for greater cooperation and knowledge-sharing between Asean and the Russian republic.
The Prime Minister also described his recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin as productive, particularly in discussions involving economic cooperation and energy security.
The exchange later took a lighter turn when journalists asked about the Russian songs that frequently feature on Anwar’s Instagram account, including “Matushka”, “Zemlya” and “Kalinka Malinka”.
“Well, I love it, my kids love it, so they memorise it, I don’t, but I love the music,” he said, drawing smiles from those gathered.
Asked whether he had a favourite Russian song, Anwar instead spoke about his appreciation of Russian literature and poetry.
He said he had developed a keen interest in the works of renowned Russian writers such as Leo Tolstoy, Anton Chekhov and Boris Pasternak, noting that many of their literary works had also been translated into Malay.
Anwar said cultural exchanges were just as important as economic and technological cooperation in strengthening relations between nations.
“Culture, poetry, literature is important, because then you have better affection and understanding of people and human beings. Otherwise, there’s technology, which is very important, but it must encompass the whole field,” he emphasised.
Earlier, Anwar opened his remarks at the forum by reciting a verse by renowned Tatar poet Abdullah Tukay.
The conversation later shifted to international affairs, including recent developments involving Iran and the United States.
Anwar said he had been in contact with several leaders, including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, all of whom were advocating a peaceful resolution to the ongoing tensions.
The session concluded with questions on Gaza, an issue on which Anwar has consistently been outspoken.
Describing the humanitarian situation as a failure of the international community, he criticised what he viewed as double standards in the application of democratic values and human rights principles.
“You cannot have a system that allows killing, torturing children and women on a daily basis, and we sit down, saying nothing,” said the premier, who is on a two-day working visit to Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, to attend the Asean-Russia Commemorative Summit. — Bernama
