Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Malaysia today for an official visit during which he will sign an agreement to supply 18 Sukhoi fighter jets in a deal estimated to be worth RM3.4 billion, officials said.

Putin, making the first visit by a Russian head of state to Malaysia, was met at the airport by Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar amid tight security.

Putin, who will also hold talks with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, was originally due to visit on July 8 but postponed the trip after suicide bombers killed 13 people at a Moscow rock concert.

Local media have pointed out gleefully that he is the third leader from major countries opposed to the Iraq war - the so-called "coalition of the unwilling" - to travel to Malaysia in the past four months.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder visited in May and was followed by French President Jacques Chirac in July. Both occasions marked the first visits to Malaysia by leaders from the two countries.

Mahathir is also a strong critic of the US-led invasion of Iraq, and his outspoken comments have soured ties with Washington just a year after he was invited to the White House by President George W Bush in recognition of his support in the so-called war on terrorism.

Arms procurement

The fighter jet deal forms part of a major arms procurement spree by Malaysia, including a deal last year to buy three French submarines to establish its first fleet of subs.

The government has also ordered British and Russian missile systems worth US$364 million and 48 attack tanks worth US$368 million from Poland.

The fighter deal was first announced in May after talks here between Defence Minister Najib Razak and his Russian counterpart Sergei Ivanov.

Najib said then the Su-30MK combat aircraft, expected to be delivered from mid-2006, would be modified with "suitable weaponry" to meet Malaysia's requirements and were hence renamed Su-30MKM.

Ivanov said the value of the contract was "tentatively US$900 million".

The Su-30MKM will join Russian-made MiG-29Ns, US-made FA-18/Ds and British-made Hawks in Malaysia's combat aircraft fleet, officials said.

Putin was originally due to visit on July 8 but postponed the trip after suicide bombers killed 13 people at a Moscow rock concert.

His visit was again thrown into doubt by Friday's suicide attack on a Russian military hospital which claimed at least 44 lives, but a Malaysian foreign ministry spokesman said the trip would go ahead.

Schedule change

In an apparent last-minute change to his intinerary, Putin was expected to land in Kuala Lumpur around 5:00pm local time instead of shortly after midnight as scheduled earlier.

Officials gave no explanation for the change in plans, and said no events were planned for Monday evening after his arrival.

On Tuesday Putin is due to receive an official welcome at parliament before a "state drive" with King Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin.

Before formal talks with Mahathir in the afternoon, Putin will launch a Malaysia-Russia Business Council.

Trade between the countries last year stood at RM1.3 billion, and Malaysia hopes to tap into the huge Russian market and expand its palm oil exports.

Apart from the deal for the supply of SU-30 MKM combat aircraft, the two leaders will sign agreements on cooperation in science and technology, as well as in information communications technology, the foreign ministry said. - AFP