PUTRAJAYA, June 19 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Russia are expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in disaster management this year.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the MoU will serve as 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 told a joint press conference with Russian Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters (EMERCOM) Minister, Colonel General Alexander Kurenkov, here today.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Central Disaster Management Committee chairman, said Malaysia welcomed Russia's offer of 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 added.
Ahmad Zahid said Malaysia's National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) team was among the first to arrive in Myanmar following the recent earthquake, operating alongside international teams including EMERCOM' RUS-03.
Ahmad Zahid said Malaysia and Russia agreed to conduct joint search and rescue (SAR) training between the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) and Russia's RUS-03 team.
He also expressed appreciation to Russia for the offer to train Malaysia's SMART team and the invitation to allow senior officers from the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia to participate in a specialised course at a leading university in St. Petersburg.
Ahmad Zahid also values the inclusion of EMERCOM's cultural ensemble as part of the visit, describing it as a meaningful gesture that fosters people-to-people ties and strengthens the foundation of the long-standing bilateral relationship between Malaysia and Russia.
He said EMERCOM's visit marks an important milestone in enhancing Malaysia and Russia's cooperation in disaster management.
He also expressed appreciation for the strong working relationship between Nadma and EMERCOM, particularly through regional initiatives under the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) and the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM).
Ahmad Zahid said he is looking forward to attending the upcoming international conference and the disaster management event hosted by Russia in Azerbaijan.
Earlier, Ahmad Zahid received a courtesy call from Kurenkov, marking an important milestone in enhancing Malaysia and Russia's cooperation in disaster management.
Meanwhile, Kurenkov said that during the meeting, several key areas were discussed, including the professional training and education of 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 added.
He also emphasised EMERCOM's interest in understanding Malaysia's modern approaches to fire and rescue training, noting the value of exchanging best practices.
In addition, he said both sides are committed to improving mutual early-warning capabilities and risk communication related to natural disasters, particularly in the areas of prevention, prediction and risk management using the systems of space monitoring and distant zoning of Earth.
"In Russia, the functions are performed by the National Crisis Management Centre. Generally, our countries have big potential for further cooperation in the sphere of elimination of natural and manmade disaster consequences," he added.
-- BERNAMA
