KAZAN, May 16 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the Republic of Tatarstan holds enormous potential and that Malaysia is ready to engage in discussions on trade and economic cooperation, including Islamic banking and the halal industry in the republic's capital, Kazan.
As of 2022, the population of Tatarstan stood at 3.9 million people, comprising more than 70 ethnic groups, with more than 50 per cent of the population being Muslim.
The prime minister said Malaysia is ready to work and develop ties with the republic, which is part of the Russian Federation.
"I believe that Tatarstan has enormous potential, (there is) a large number of proposals. We are ready to work and develop our ties," Anwar said during a meeting with the Rais (Head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov yesterday.
The meeting was held in the Kazan Kremlin and was attended by Tartastan Prime Minister Alexey Pesoshin, Russia Deputy Energy Minister Roman Marshavin, representatives of ministries and departments and heads of major machine-building enterprises.
Anwar led a delegation that comprises Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu; Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Li Kang; Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir; and Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani as well as Malaysia’s Ambassador to Russia Datuk Cheong Loon Lai.
Meanwhile, Minnikhanov, in a media statement, said Anwar's visit to Kazan was a significant event.
"We are very glad to see you. Your visit encourages us to work even more actively. Our contacts should be more intensive," he said, thanking Anwar for visiting Tatarstan and his participation in the Kazan Forum 2025.
"It is gratifying that a solid delegation of business circles is participating in the forum with you. The Kazan Forum has been held with federal status for three years now and is the main platform for establishing cooperation between Russia and the countries of the Muslim world.
“It is also a great honour for us that you participate in the meeting of the strategic vision group of the Russia-Islamic World (of the forum)", he said.
The Rais also thanked Anwar for Malaysia’s support and emphasised that Tatarstan places great importance on strengthening cooperation with Malaysia within the framework of friendly Russian-Malaysian relations.
He noted that mutual trade turnover is increasing, with growing collaboration in agriculture, oil and gas, petrochemicals, information technology, and several other sectors
"Our republic is a pilot region for the implementation of the principles of Islamic (partnership) banking and financing in Russia. We are also doing a lot of work in terms of developing the halal industry.
"These are also promising areas for our cooperation. Our colleagues from Malaysia provide us with great support. We learn from you, adopt the best practices," said the Rais.
Earlier, Minnikhanov presented Anwar with an English-language collection of poems by the classic poet of Tatar literature, Gabdulla Tukai.
Anwar’s official visit to Russia started in Moscow on May 13 and will end tomorrow.
The Republic of Tatarstan is located on the eastern frontier of Europe at the confluence of the Volga and Kama rivers, with a distance from Moscow of 797 km. It covers a territory of 68,000 sq km, which is roughly the size of countries such as Ireland, Lithuania or Sri Lanka.
The Volga River is one of Russia’s most prominent watercourses, whose meandering presence through Tatarstan not only enhances the region’s natural splendour but also holds significant economic importance.
Tatarstan is also famous for a Unesco site, the Bolgar Historical and Archaeological Complex, which was once the capital of Volga Bulgaria and now serves as a pilgrimage site for Muslims and a treasure trove for history lovers. The region's main source of wealth is oil, with a strong petrochemical industry.
— Bernama
