Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim shared a light-hearted moment with President Putin during the Kremlin visit, the first in nearly 20 years.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim shared a light-hearted exchange with Russian President Vladimir Putin during an official visit to the Kremlin on Thursday, marking the first visit by a Malaysian leader to Russia in nearly two decades.
While touring the ornate St. Andrew’s Hall, Putin presented Anwar with a riddle about the room’s three thrones: “One is for the Czar, another for his wife; what about the third?”
Anwar’s quick-witted reply, “For the second wife!” drew laughter from officials in attendance, including Putin himself. The Russian president, amused, replied, “I hope he is not angry at me for saying these things, but this is an answer of a true Muslim. A representative of Islamic culture. I have to say that our traditional values maybe are not the same. But the exchange of information is always useful for both parties. Thank you very much.”
Anwar said, “I have to respond, I have only one wife.” He later clarified that the third throne was traditionally reserved for the Czar’s mother.
Beyond the banter, the leaders engaged in substantive talks on strengthening bilateral ties, particularly in energy cooperation and defence collaboration.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he discussed the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a visit to Moscow, days after a UN report found Russia responsible for the disaster, according to the news agency.
A UN aviation council found this week that Russia was responsible for the downing of MH17, which was shot down over eastern Ukraine in 2014 during fighting between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces.
Moscow has rejected the International Civil Aviation Organisation Council’s (ICAO) findings on the crash that killed all 298 passengers and crew, calling the ruling biased.
Anwar said in a Facebook post late on Wednesday that he would continue to press for accountability over the disaster.
“Malaysia remains resolute in ensuring accountability and a just resolution for the victims and their families who continue to bear the weight of this tragedy,” he said.
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