MOSCOW (AFP) - Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar and his Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov announced yesterday that their two nations held shared views on both international and regional security issues.

The two ministers said they discussed high-tech cooperation issues and trade but had so far bypassed military affairs, although those may still be touched on during Syed Hamid's meeting with Russia's pointman on the arms trade, Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov.

"Our exchange of views confirmed the high degree of mutual understanding on multilateral and regional affairs," Ivanov told reporters.

"Today's talks once again proved that Russian-Malaysian relations have a promising future."

Russian visit

Syed Hamid responded that Malaysia considered "that our relationship with Russia is a very important one because we share common views concerning world peace, international and regional issues."

The visit also paves the way for a visit to Russia in September by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, the two ministers said.

Syed Hamid is still scheduled to hold talks with Klebanov and Economic Development Minister German Gref before leaving Moscow late yesterday.

Last year, Russia agreed for the first time to launch a Malaysian satellite, called Twingsat, which is designed to map the surface of the Earth.

The Malaysian air force is has further agreed to buy MI-17 helicopters from Russia to replace its aging Sikorsky S-61 "Nuri" fleet, Defense Minister Najib Tun Razak said.

In April 2000, Malaysia and Russia signed an agreement that includes the possibility of swapping Malaysian palm oil and rubber for Russian space technology.

Two-way trade between the two nations was worth US$358.7 million last year in 1999, the last figures currently available.