An agreement on facilitating a visa regime between Russia and Malaysia will promote the development of humanitarian contacts between the two countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday after talks with his Malaysian counterpart Anifa Aman.

We have agreed to step up the signing of an agreement on the establishment of a joint commission on economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation, which is an important instrument, Lavrov said. We are interested in the influx of capital from Malaysia, he added.

We also agreed to develop humanitarian contacts between the two countries and ensure a more intensive growth of tourism, Lavrov said. The realization of our mutual consent to sign an agreement on facilitating the visa regime will promote the development of humanitarian contacts and tourism, Lavrov said.

For his part, the Malaysian foreign minister expressed hope that the corresponding agreement would be signed in the near future.