HIGHER Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir is in Vladivostok to lead Malaysia’s delegation to a joint commission meeting with Russia aimed at advancing bilateral cooperation.
The fifth Malaysia-Russia Joint Commission for Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation (JC-ESTC) will be held from today until Aug 15.
Zambry will co-chair the meeting with Russian Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov, who is also the Russian co-chair of the commission.
The JC-ESTC, established in 2015, serves as a formal platform for both countries to coordinate cooperation across various sectors.
Representatives from 18 Malaysian ministries and agencies are taking part in this year’s meeting, reflecting the breadth of areas covered by the bilateral relationship.
These include trade and investment, energy, science and technology, higher education, agriculture, as well as social and cultural cooperation.
Among the issues on the agenda are efforts to expand bilateral trade and investment, explore opportunities in strategic sectors and emerging technologies, and strengthen research and innovation links.
Malaysia will also seek to deepen cooperation in higher education through greater student and academic mobility, joint research, university partnerships and talent development in science, technology and other strategic fields.
The meeting will also review progress on agreements reached previously and identify areas where further action or new initiatives may be needed.
Zambry said Malaysia wanted the JC-ESTC to focus on outcomes that could translate existing bilateral ties into practical cooperation.
He said this included projects, investments, technology development and exchanges of expertise that could benefit both countries.
“Strong relations between our two countries must be translated into tangible projects, investments, exchanges of expertise, technological development and new opportunities that directly benefit the people and economies of both nations,” he said.
Zambry said Malaysia and Russia had complementary strengths in areas including science and technology, energy, higher education and human capital development.
He expressed hope that the meeting would result in concrete agreements and follow-up measures to further strengthen Malaysia-Russia relations.
Zambry was received upon arrival in Vladivostok by Russian Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Konstantin Mogilevsky. – August 13, 2026
