Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar arrived in Moscow on Thursday for a high-profile visit that comes as Kuala Lumpur looks for alternative oil sources amid the Iran war-linked fuel crisis.

Sultan Ibrahim landed at Vnukovo-2 International Airport at 4.20pm local time on Thursday, according to Malaysian reports, and was received by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko, senior protocol officials and Malaysia’s ambassador to Russia, Cheong Loon Lai.

The king is attending Russia’s May 9 Victory Day events as a guest of honour at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin, the latest in a series of royal engagements that have put Malaysia-Russia ties back in the spotlight.

Though the visit is officially ceremonial, the timing coincides with the energy squeeze now plaguing Malaysia and much of Asia. The Iran war has disrupted shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow Gulf artery that remains critical to global oil and gas trade, forcing governments across the region to hunt for alternative supplies while trying to keep fuel prices from feeding into inflation.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said last month that national oil company Petronas would negotiate with Russia to buy crude as Malaysia sought to secure domestic supplies.