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Malaysia will explore the possibility of signing a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak told reporters after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on May 19.
Najib added that the Malaysian Ministry of International Trade and Industry would hold talks with the relevant ministries in Russia to survey the EAEU FTA negotiations, Malaysian daily, The Star reported on its website.
Russia and Malaysia also agreed to consider the idea of launching direct flights between Moscow and Kuala Lumpur, according to the report.
Russia is looking to boost cooperation with Malaysia in several fields, Putin said. “We will be pleased to develop relations in the humanitarian sphere, in the economy, investments and of course in the military sphere, or in the sphere of military-technical cooperation,” Putin was cited as telling Najib by TASS. The Russian President also noted that the countries would mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties in 2017.
Sources close to the situation told RBTH that the investigations into the July 2014 shooting down of Malaysia Airlines MH 17 figured in the talks between Putin and Najib. The leaders agreed to hold a separate 30-minute meeting to discuss action to ensure justice for the victims of the incident, the sources said.
