PUTRAJAYA, June 19 — Malaysia and Russia are expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on disaster management cooperation later this year.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the MoU would establish a practical framework for joint training, knowledge exchange and coordinated emergency response.

“As Asean Chair this year, Malaysia remains committed to regional leadership in disaster response,” he said at a joint press conference with Russian Emergency Situations Minister Colonel General Alexander Kurenkov here today.

Ahmad Zahid, who also chairs the Central Disaster Management Committee, said Malaysia welcomed Russia’s offer to provide capacity-building programmes for Malaysian officers — including a specialised training course in Vladivostok this September.

“We are exploring broader collaboration, including technology transfer in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) applications for disaster monitoring,” he said.

He added that Malaysia’s National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) was among the first to respond to the recent earthquake in Myanmar, operating alongside international teams including Russia’s RUS-03.

Malaysia and Russia have also agreed to conduct joint search and rescue (SAR) training between the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) and the RUS-03 team.

Ahmad Zahid expressed appreciation for Russia’s offer to train the SMART team and for inviting senior officers from the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia to attend a specialised course at a top university in St Petersburg.

He also welcomed Emercom’s cultural ensemble, describing its participation as a meaningful gesture that fosters people-to-people ties and deepens the bilateral relationship.

He said Emercom’s visit marked a significant step forward in disaster management cooperation between both countries.

Ahmad Zahid also acknowledged the strong working relationship between Nadma and Emercom, especially through platforms such as the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (Insarag) and the Asean Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM).

He added that he looked forward to attending an international conference and disaster management event hosted by Russia in Azerbaijan.

Earlier today, Ahmad Zahid received a courtesy call from Kurenkov, which he said marked an important milestone in bilateral ties.

Meanwhile, Kurenkov said the meeting covered key areas such as training and education for firefighters and rescue personnel.

“Emercom’s academies offer a wide range of programmes for international specialists — not only for firefighters and rescuers, but also for medics, dog handlers and UAV operators,” he said.

He noted Emercom’s interest in learning about Malaysia’s modern fire and rescue training methods and the importance of exchanging best practices.

He added that both countries are committed to enhancing early warning systems and risk communication for natural disasters, especially in prevention, prediction and risk management using space monitoring and remote sensing technologies.

“In Russia, these functions are handled by the National Crisis Management Centre. Overall, our countries have great potential for deeper cooperation in managing the aftermath of natural and manmade disasters,” he said. — Bernama