MOSCOW

Malaysia is "very much interested in Russian technology", particularly in the aerospace industry, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Thursday.

At a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, held on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum, Mahathir welcomed Russia's interest in setting up an aerospace university in Malaysia.

"It [establishment of the university] will be something we look forward to because since our decision to purchase Russian planes, there has not been much progress in terms of other areas of cooperation. We are very much interested in Russian technology – in particular, with regard to the aerospace industry", Mahathir said in a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Eastern Economic Forum is an annual international forum held to encourage foreign investment in the Russian Far East. The Russian leadership also uses the sidelines of the event to discuss international and regional issues.