Tatarstan leader meets Malaysian Premier Anwar

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - The President of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, met with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.

Anwar stated that he discussed strengthening bilateral ties between Russia and the Islamic world with President Minnikhanov, focusing particularly on relations with member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Minnikhanov, who leads Russia's Muslim-majority region, is on a two-day visit to Malaysia.

“We also touched on Malaysia’s potential membership in the BRICS coalition (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), and I reiterated our commitment to this initiative, as previously expressed to Russia,” Anwar said on X.

Kuala Lumpur has applied to join the bloc of emerging economies, with Russia currently holding the chairmanship of BRICS.

The two leaders also explored potential areas for expanded cooperation, particularly within the halal sector, and discussed ways to further enhance collaboration in education, according to the Malaysian prime minister.