Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad will make official visits to Germany, Poland and Russia this month, the foreign ministry said today.

He begins his trip in Russia on March 14 and ends it in Poland on March 22, the ministry said in a statement.

He will be accompanied by his wife Siti Hasmah Mohamed Ali, three cabinet ministers, top government officials and businessmen.

The visit to Russia was initially scheduled to take place in September last year but was postponed because of the terror attacks on New York and Washington.

Russia announced last October that it would export anti-tank missile systems to Malaysia under the terms of a partnership deal dating back to 1994, when Russia sold MiG-29 fighter jets to Malaysia.

In Moscow, Mahathir is expected to meet President Vladimir Putin and is scheduled to witness a demonstration of the Sukhoi SU-30 fighter aircraft.

Largest trading partner

This will be Mahathir's third visit to Russia, but his first official trip to Germany, where he will meet Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and business leaders.

Germany has overtaken the United Kingdom to become Malaysia's largest trading partner within the European Union in the past two years.

In Poland, Mahathir is expected to meet with his Polish counterpart, Leszek Miller, and call on President Aleksander Kwasniewski.

Mahathir is also scheduled to view armoured defence equipment in Warsaw and a navy fleet demonstration in Gdansk. (AFP)

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