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Strong halal bridges to Russia
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@ Halal | July-August. 2025
CONTENTS
@ Halal says...
Strong halal bridges to Russia
MALAYSIA is strengthening its international halal diplomacy, this time with Russia. During a recent four-day working visit to Moscow, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof announced plans to deepen bilateral cooperation in highpotential sectors. These include the halal industry, agriculture, and food security.
Despite Russia’ s large economy, trade between the two countries has remained modest. However, Fadillah believes that halal-related sectors could become key drivers of growth in the near future.
Russia has the market size, while Malaysia brings expertise in halal certification, standards, and ecosystem development. Fadillah, who also serves as the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, highlighted opportunities for joint research and development.
He pointed to areas such as fertiliser and pesticide technologies, agro-engineering, and food technology, which align with halal production and ethical agricultural practices.
Malaysia also expressed appreciation for Russia’ s educational scholarships to Malaysian students.
Fadillah proposed that these scholarships be expanded to include emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, big data, and information science.
These fields are crucial to advancing halal industry transformation and digital traceability.
Tourism and connectivity were also discussed during the visit. Malaysia welcomed a proposal for direct flights between the two countries. This initiative is expected to boost halal tourism and facilitate closer economic engagement.
Financial transaction issues were also raised. Russia voiced concerns about current limitations that have hindered trade growth. In response, Fadillah assured that the Malaysian government, through relevant agencies including Bank Negara Malaysia, will work to facilitate smoother financial processes between both sides.
Fadillah concluded that the visit had laid a solid foundation for stronger cooperation. He expressed confidence that Malaysia – Russia relations will continue to grow positively and bring tangible benefits to both nations.
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