MOSCOW: Malaysian ambassador to Russia Datuk Bala Chandran Tharman has voiced hope that the Russian flagship carrier, Aeroflot, will soon have direct flights between St Petersburg or Moscow and Kuala Lumpur.

       “The issue of direct flights between our countries is being discussed in the joint Russian-Malaysian commission on economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation.

       “The issue of direct flights is on the agenda.

       “As an ambassador, I really hope that Aeroflot will soon be able to open direct flights to Kuala Lumpur,” he said in a report by Sputnik.

       In another development, Bala Chandran believes Malaysia will consider selling semiconductors and electronics to Russia.

       “The Malaysian industry is market-oriented and I am absolutely sure that any request from the Russian party concerning such products will be considered,” the ambassador said.

       He stressed that he was not aware of any current talks on the issues between the two countries.

       According to the ambassador, Malaysia is one of the biggest exporters of semiconductors in the world.

       Russia may face a deficit of semiconductors because of the massive sanctions over its military operation in Ukraine.

       Taiwan, which is one of the world’s key producers of semiconductors, has joined the sanctions campaign. — Bernama