Malaysian Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, is in the Russian capital of Moscow for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin and called for constructive and respectful dialogue among civilisations.

While these engagements must be on the mutual recognition of dignity, strength and cultural diversity, there must also be the preservation of justice, compassion and coexistence in navigating the complexities of the post-normal era.

Anwar shared these thoughts in a public lecture entitled ‘Asean in a Multipolar World: Perspectives from Malaysia’ at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) where he was awarded an honorary doctorate.

The award given to him by MGIMO was in recognition of his contributions to promoting global peace and strengthening international cooperation which has been one of the main agendas on his itinerary since he became prime minister of Malaysia.

Anwar stated that Malaysia does not believe in unilateralism and added that the Madani framework shares common ground with the ‘Russian Soul’ which is often cited by intellectuals in Russia.

It was also highlighted by him, in the capacity of being ASEAN Chair, that the region has a consensus-driven model and cited how the bloc collectively supported his outreach to both the Myanmar military leadership and opposition leaders in pursuing a ceasefire.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE