The final protocol of the second meeting of the Working Group on Education, Science, and Technology of the Joint Russian-Malaysian Commission on Economic, Scientific, Technical, and Cultural Cooperation includes a point about the establishment of a permanent communication platform in the mineral resource sector. The document was signed by the Deputy Head of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Russian Federation, Airat Gatiyatov, and the Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia, Megat Sani Megat Ahmad Supian.
The initiative to create the Dialogue was proposed by the Rector of Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University, Vladimir Litvinenko, at the third meeting of the International Governmental Commission (MPC). The oldest technical university in Russia has taken on the role of organizer in collaboration with the University of Malaya. The first session of the Raw Materials Dialogue will coincide with the next MPC meeting in the fall of 2025.
In his speech at the signing ceremony of the final documents, Ayrat Gatiyatov highlighted the "Raw Materials Dialogue" as one of the most significant bilateral projects in the field of education. He also stated that the upcoming visit of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to Russia should contribute to advancing the Forum's themes and encourage the relevant officials from both sides to engage actively in this direction.
The Malaysian Ministry of Education has already established a special working group to prepare for the first session of the Dialogue, involving representatives from the relevant ministries and businesses. During expert consultations, the senior assistant to the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Fauzan Mahi, emphasized the Malaysian side's particular interest in developing contacts in the field of R&D.
The exchange of information on the most promising areas of scientific cooperation in the effective use of mineral and raw material resources between the two countries has already begun between Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University and the University of Malaya. The first joint online seminar has taken place, and similar meetings will be held regularly.
«The Dialogue enables the promotion of mutually beneficial cooperation in the raw materials sector and contributes to enhancing the reputation of Russia and Malaysia in global organizations such as ASEAN. Even today, we can identify a range of promising areas for cooperation. These include the extraction and use of rare earth and strategic metals, issues related to state regulation, and the digitalization of the raw materials industry, particularly the transition to the 'Industry 4.0' digital platform. In the oil and gas sector, there is interest in joint work on liquefied natural gas and petrochemical projects, such as biopolymers» – said Evgeny Lyubin, Vice Rector for International Affairs at Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University.
The final protocol of the Working Group on Education, Science, and Technology of the MPC includes an agreement on the Joint Committee for the Dialogue, which will consist of "equally ranked high-ranking representatives from Russia and Malaysia".
Additionally, it states that the Dialogue is intended to become a specialized professional platform for interaction between experts and youth on key issues of strategic partnership between the two countries. Special attention will be given to strengthening cooperation in the areas of innovation, education, and scientific research in sectors of mutual interest.