Diplomatic relations between the USSR and Malaysia were established on April 3, 1967. Malaysia declared its recognition of the Russian Federation as the successor of the Soviet Union on December 31, 1991.

Both countries maintain political dialogue, regular exchange of messages at the highest level and between the heads of the foreign ministries on current bilateral issues and most urgent international problems.

The Yang Di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia Tuanku Jaafar paid unofficial visits to St.Petersburg in May 1997 and in September 2005. Russian President Vladimir V. Putin has been to Malaysia twice in 2003: on an official visit in August and to attend the OIC Summit in October. Vladimir V. Putin participated in the first Russia-ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur in December 2005 and as well had a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister of Malaysia Abdullah Badawi.

The Prime Ministers of Malaysia were with official visits in Moscow in 1972, 1979, 1987, 2002 and a working visit to the Khabarovsk Region and Buryatia in 1999. At the APEC Summits in Brunei (November 2000) and Shanghai (October 2001) and G8 Summit in Evian (June 2003) there were informal meetings between Russian President Vladimir V. Putin and Malaysian Prime Minister (Dr. Mahathir Mohamad).

There was a record of active interaction between foreign ministries of Russia and Malaysia: their heads pay reciprocal official visits, hold bilateral meetings at international fora. According to the Protocol signed in 1987 two foreign ministries hold consultations at a level of deputy foreign minister.

Since 1995 a Malaysian citizen, Mr. Teoh Seng Lee, has been carrying out the duties of the Russian Honorary Consul in the states of Penang, Kedah and Perlis.

Maintaining interparliamentary relations the delegations of the Russian State Duma and the Federation Council visited Malaysia in 1994, 1999, 2002 and 2005; they participated in the XI Session of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum in Kuala Lumpur in 2003. The Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Malaysian Parliament paid an official visit to Moscow in 1991; a delegation of the Malaysia senators headed by the Deputy President of the Senate was to Russia in 2003.

Cooperation between the ruling political parties of Russia and Malaysia - "United Russia" and UMNO respectively - is actively developing. The delegation of the "United Russia" participated in the 55-th Assembly of UMNO in September 2004. The return visit of the UMNO delegation to Moscow was paid in April 2005 when two parties singed the Protocol of bilateral cooperation.

Contacts have been established between the highest judicial bodies of the two counties. Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation Viacheslav Lebedev visited Malaysia in April 2001; a reciprocal visit by Malaysian Chief Justice Tun Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah was held in June 2001.

Direct links of Russian regions with Malaysia have also been maintained: delegations from the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Khabarovsk Region, Moscow Government repeatedly visited Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia nowadays is a main Russia's trading partner in the South East Asia, Russia in its turn is the leading trading partner of Malaysia in the CIS region. The total trade turnover between Russian and Malaysia reached US$ 1,100 mln in 2005 against US$ 876 mln in 2004 and US$ 740 mln in 2003. Russia's exports to Malaysia usually exceeds its imports from Malaysia (in 2004 Russia's exports constituted US$ 468 mln while imports stood at US$ 408 mln).

Russia's exports is mostly dominated by chemical fertilizers and other chemical products, rolled metals and metal products and less by machines and equipment (mainly spare parts for aircraft equipment). Imports consist of home E&E appliances, palm oil and palm oil products, plastics, cocoa powder and cocoa butter.

The Russian-Malaysian trade and economic relations are regulated by the Agreement on Economic Cooperation (signed 2000) and Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation (1987) and it will be greatly contributed by the signing of the protocol on completion of bilateral talks with Malaysia on Russian accession to the WTO (December, 2005). The new trade possibilities arise from the signing of the cooperation agreement between Russian and Malaysian Chambers of Commerce in December 2005.

Both countries pay notable attention to promotion of scientific and technical ties. A number of talks were held between ministers of science and technology of Russia and Malaysia on a wide scope of joint projects - in August 2000 and March 2002 in Moscow and August 2003 in Kuala Lumpur. The first Malaysian micro satellite was orbited by a Russian launcher in September 2000. Regular contacts have been maintained between Russia and Malaysian specialists in the fields of meteorology, space exploration, Antarctic studies. The latest Russian technologies are presented in Malaysia.

There is a bilateral Agreement on Science and Technology Cooperation signed in 2003.

Perspective areas of interaction in the filed of modern information and telecommunication technologies were considered during exchange of visits by representatives of the Ministry of Communication and Informatization of Russia and the Ministry of Energy, Communications and Multimedia of Malaysia. During the Russian President's visit to Malaysia in 2003 an Agreement on Cooperation in the respective field was concluded.

The Minister of Culture, Arts and Tourism of Malaysia paid a visit to Moscow and St.Petersburg in 2000 where he held negotiations with Russian agencies and tourist operators on the prospects of increasing tourist and cultural exchange.

An important component of bilateral cooperation is represented by the educational ties. Now Russian institutions of higher education (medical) have about 2000 Malaysian students both on government and private basis. There are prospects of further increase of their number thanks to the official recognition by the Malaysian Side of the Russian diplomas. The Minister of Education of Malaysia was in Moscow in April 2003 to familiarize with higher education opportunities for Malaysians in Russia.

Russian news agencies ITAR-TASS and RIA "Novosti" have established and maintain direct contacts with "Bernama" news agency of Malaysia. RIA "Novosti" and "Bernama" have signed a MoU on cooperation.

The ties between religious organizations of two countries were developed thanks to the visit to Kuala Lumpur in December 2003 by Metropolitanate Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad.