ST. PETERSBURG, January 26. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has welcomed Malaysia's Supreme Ruler, Sultan Ibrahim, during his private visit to Russia in the Twenty-Column Hall of the Hermitage.

The two leaders exchanged handshakes in a cordial gesture.

Following the greeting, President Putin extended an invitation to Sultan Ibrahim for a brief tour of the State Hermitage Museum. Museum director Mikhail Piotrovsky highlighted the institution’s most prized treasures during the visit. As previously announced by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, the meeting between Putin and Sultan Ibrahim is scheduled to proceed with a private discussion afterward.