KUALA LUMPUR: Russia is confident its military fighter jets will continue to soar high in Malaysian skies.
Russian embassy’s military, naval and air attache Col Dmitry Gurov said his government would strive to enhance its long-standing bilateral relations with Malaysia, by continuing to support the latter’s Armed Forces.
“I am confident of greater things to come for both our countries, and we will continue to pursue the acquisition of more assets for Malaysia,” Gurov said in conjunction with the 102nd Russian Armed Forces Day at the JW Marriott Hotel in Jalan Bukit Bintang.
Russia had previously supplied the Royal Malaysian Air Force with, among others, two squadrons of 18 Sukhoi Su-30MKM Flanker jets.
It eventually led to the bold step towards sending orthopaedic surgeon Datuk Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha on the Russian Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station, where he spent nine days conducting scientific experiments in 2007.
It had also supplied the Fire and Rescue Department’s air wing with four Mil Mi-17-IV helicopters.
The event was also to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the former Soviet Union’s great victory over Nazi Germany following the end of World War II in 1945.
Gurov commended the enormous joint efforts of the former Soviet republics like Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan in achieving the war victory, 75 years ago.
“However, it came at a price with over 26 million lives lost in the terrible war, for the well-being of the Soviet people and the rest of the world.
“We should always remember it and never let it repeat,” said Gurov.
Present were Russian ambassador Nail Latypov, his wife Marina Latypova, Malaysia’s representative Brigadier-General Rizuan Abu Bakar, Gurov’s wife Marina Gurova, and assistant military, naval and air attaches Col Sergey Belyankin and Capt Dmitry Agafonov.
Rizuan, who will be posted to Jakarta, Indonesia, as Malaysia’s defence attache, was among 30 Malaysian officers to be posted soon to other countries.
Teachers and pupils of the Russian School of Kuala Lumpur put up colourful traditional dances, including a duet by Nazar Kanyukov and Maria Belevich as a soldier and his dance partner, the Bariynya (madam), Matryoshkas (Russian dolls) and the Flower dance.
There were also colourful performances of traditional dances up by the Russian School pupils, choreographed by teachers Anna Antipova and Natalia Urazova.