PETALING JAYA: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, has arrived safely in St Petersburg on Sunday (Jan 25) for a special visit to the Russian city at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin. His Majesty’s aircraft touched down at Pulkovo International Airport at 2.38pm local time, marking the beginning of the maiden visit by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's to St Petersburg. Upon arrival, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong was received by Leningrad Oblast Governor Alexander Yuryevich Drozdenko, Deputy Governor Yaroslav Anatolyevich Serov, and St Petersburg Committee for External Relations chairman Evgeny Dmitrievich Grigoriev. In a Facebook post, His Majesty noted St Petersburg as one of Russia’s most significant historical cities and had previously served as the country’s capital. “Last year alone, more than 160,000 Malaysians visited St Petersburg.”Sultan Ibrahim said the special visit underscores the importance of Malaysia–Russia ties and reflects growing people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, particularly in tourism and cultural engagement.

Source: The Star January 25, 2026 17:47 UTC