In early November, on Langkawi Island in the Strait of Malacca, a meeting of the Organizing Committee was held to prepare for a representative international summit. The Russian and Malaysian sides reached an agreement in principle to hold it in the autumn of 2026 in the Russian Federation at the venue of Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University.
The parties discussed the working program, the composition of participants, and the roadmap for preparing the event. The mission of the Raw Materials Dialogue has been defined—the creation of a platform for developing joint initiatives in the mineral resources and fuel-and-energy spheres, for personnel training, and for conducting joint scientific research.
The idea of creating such a platform belongs to the Rector of Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University, Vladimir Litvinenko, and was put forward by him during the third meeting of the Joint Russia–Malaysia Commission on Economic, Scientific-Technical, and Cultural Cooperation, which was held at the Mining University in October 2024. The initiative was actively supported by the Minister of Higher Education of Malaysia, Zambri Abdul Kadir, who was present at the meeting.
Over the past year, substantial work has been carried out: a series of online seminars was organized at which Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University presented research by its scholars on innovative developments in the oil and gas sector, geological exploration, and the extraction and use of rare earth metals. Scientists from the partner country’s leading university, the University of Malaya, delivered reports on the country’s oil resources, the development of supply chains for rare earth metals, and the research initiatives of the Center for Entrepreneurship in the field of gold, rare earths, and materials.
The details of the upcoming event were discussed during teleconferences between the rectors of the two universities; working delegations from both sides studied each other’s potential and strengths during organizational visits.
Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University has many years of experience in organizing and operating the Russia–German Raw Materials Forum and the Russia–British Raw Materials Dialogue,— an effective mechanism for discussions and for formulating recommendations to the governments of both countries on interaction of mineral-resources complexes. Constructive cooperation was terminated at the initiative of the Western sides. In October 2025, the university hosted the first session of the Russia–Africa Raw Materials Dialogue, which brought together more than 500 representatives from 40 countries of the continent—politicians, scientists, public figures, and industrialists. The idea of the forum was proposed by the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, during the second Russia–Africa summit in July 2023.
At the meeting of the Organizing Committee to establish the Raw Materials Dialogue on Langkawi, representatives of Malaysian ministries and departments, key private companies of the country, organizations representing the interests of the mining sector, and university rectors were present. The Russian side was represented by a delegation of Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University headed by Vice-Rector Evgeny Lyubin, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Konstantin Mogilevsky, Deputy Minister of Energy Roman Marshavin, President of the non-profit partnership “Mining Industrialists of Russia” Valery Yazev, member of the Public Council of the Ministry of Energy Kirill Molodtsov, and Rector of the Almetyevsk Oil University Alexander Dyakonov. Attending online was Natalya Komarova, First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Agrarian and Food Policy and Environmental Management.
The tone of the meeting was set by the Co-Chair of the Dialogue, Rector of Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University, Vladimir Litvinenko:
«In the rapidly developing processes of globalization, one way or another, a global mineral resource base is taking shape. At the same time, the well-being of peoples and their geopolitical role are to a large extent determined by the wealth of subsoil of the respective territories and by the availability of a set of means for its development. The national interests of countries possessing significant natural resources must be paramount both in implementing the concept of balanced development of the world market and in the globalization of mineral resource bases. This is the foundation of the sovereignization of any nation.
Relying on the latest scientific developments in natural resource use—in the field of rare earth metals and new materials, LNG, deep metageology—and on the training of appropriate personnel, we must together build a rational strategy and tactics for developing the earth’s wealth. Regardless of any sanctions».
The Co-Chair of the Committee from the Malaysian side, Rector of the University of Malaya, Nur Azuan bin Abu Osman, in his welcoming remarks, also emphasized the priority importance of mineral resources, which hold not only economic but also strategic value. He assured that Malaysia would be a “strong partner” of Russia in this field, defining four directions of the Dialogue’s architecture—ecosystem research, academic exchanges, the operation of seminar platforms, and inter-university cooperation.
The Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation of Malaysia, Ms. Aidawati Misdar, stated that her country seeks to be free and independent of the states of the Global North and therefore needs to fully possess the technologies for the extraction, transportation, and processing of its own mineral raw materials. At the same time, the Deputy Minister named cooperation in the mineral resources and energy spheres as the first among the 17 main areas of general bilateral interaction with the Russian Federation.
The Director General of Malaysia’s Department of Mineral Resources and Geological Sciences, Zamri bin Ramli, noted that the Russia–Malaysia Raw Materials Dialogue is much more than just a forum.
«We are uniting in the effort to strengthen scientific and technical collaboration and technology exchange, and to expand international ties. This fully corresponds to our policy in the field of mineral resources, as well as to the 2025–2035 industrial development plan aimed at modernizing the mineral resources sector», — he explained.
The President of the non-profit partnership “Mining Industrialists of Russia,” Valery Yazev, recalled that Malaysia is one of the leaders of the Global South with large reserves of natural resources, but a significant part of them remains underexplored; therefore, the country is interested in cooperation with Russia, which possesses the necessary technologies. According to Yazev, one of the prospects of the Raw Materials Dialogue and future collaboration is the creation of joint production in the areas of rare earths, oil, and other industries.
On behalf of the entire delegation, he also proposed a list of thematic working groups, including the areas: “Personnel Training, Science and Innovation,” “Problems and Prospects for the Development of Cooperation at the Regional Level,” “Oil, Gas and Energy of the Transition Period,” and “Mineral Resources and Geology.” The parties agreed to promptly name the heads and members of the established working groups.
Malaysian partners emphasized that they are particularly interested in issues related to the industrial production of rare earth and strategic minerals, as well as the legislative regulation of natural resource use, since the main deposits in Malaysia are located in protected areas; therefore, it is important not to harm the environment in their development.
An expert of the Competence Center for Mining Engineering Education under the auspices of UNESCO, Kirill Molodtsov, spoke about the functional role of the UN unit in the upcoming event.
Natalya Komarova emphasized the importance of the participation of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, as the chamber of regions representing all constituent entities of the federation and dealing with issues of harmonization of legislation.
As a result of the discussion, the parties agreed on all items of the agenda. A decision was approved to hold the first Russia–Malaysia Raw Materials Dialogue in the third quarter of 2026 in St. Petersburg and on the parameters of the roadmap, which should include a list of key areas, activities, timelines for their implementation, and responsible representatives from both sides.
The Vice-Rector of Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University, Evgeny Lyubin, stated that the University is ready to fully assume all expenses for holding the event. This includes both the main program and associated costs: accommodation, transfers, and the cultural component.
The Rector of the University of Malaya, Nur Azuan bin Abu Osman, in a conversation with a Forpost correspondent, noted that the most important thing in such discussions is the strengthening of relations between the two countries, each of which has its own strengths.
«In the course of such meetings, we discuss not only academic aspects but also industrial applications. We talk about business and about how we can use mineral resources in the interests of both countries», — he emphasized.
The Secretary General of the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia, Anesi Ibrahim, for his part, noted that the partnership opens up new opportunities for the joint development of technologies, including with the use of artificial intelligence (AI), while maintaining environmental balance.
The Director General of Malaysia’s Department of Mineral Resources and Geological Sciences, Zamri bin Ramli, told a Forpost correspondent that oil and gas had supported the country’s economy for decades; however, in recent years, Malaysia has identified unique deposits rich in Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREE)—primarily terbium and dysprosium.
«In our subsoil, there is a special type of deposits containing heavy rare earth elements—terbium and dysprosium. These elements are critically important for creating magnets with high coercivity and resistance to high temperatures, which plays a key role in the transition to new energy. This type of deposit is rare in the world, and Malaysia has been fortunate in this regard. We are now making great efforts to make rare earth elements our ‘new oil», — he explained.
Zamri bin Ramli added that such rare earth element deposits are of interest to the entire world, and that Russia has the technologies necessary for their efficient development and processing. Malaysia is considering the possibility of a partnership that would combine Russian technological solutions and Malaysian expertise, and expects that such cooperation “will play a decisive role in the development of our industry,” he emphasized.
| Malaysia, a constitutional monarchy, is one of the leaders in the Asia–Pacific region (APR) in the extraction of hydrocarbon resources: about 1.7 million barrels of oil are extracted daily from its subsoil. Commercial oil and gas reserves are estimated at 17 billion barrels of oil equivalent (BOE); in addition, the country ranks fifth in the world in the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG). In terms of steady GDP growth rates, ease of doing business, investor protection, and other economic indicators, Malaysia is among the 24 most competitive economies in the world. Kuala Lumpur’s strategic goals in the field of hydrocarbon production and processing are formulated in Malaysia’s New Industrial Master Plan to 2030, as well as in the National Energy Transition Roadmap (National Energy Transition Roadmap-2023). The country also has significant deposits of tin, bauxite, iron ore, coal, and copper. Industrial minerals such as clay, kaolin, silica, limestone, barite, and phosphates are mined here, and there are gold mining enterprises |
The Russian delegation also took part in the fourth meeting of the Joint Russia–Malaysia Commission on Economic, Scientific-Technical, and Cultural Cooperation.
On its sidelines, a memorandum of cooperation between Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University and the University of Malaya was signed regarding further work on the Dialogue.
The next step in preparing for the summit will be a meeting of the organizing committee in St. Petersburg in early 2026.