MALAYSIA, TURKMENISTAN COMMITTED TO STRENGTHENING BILATERAL TIES - PM ANWAR

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 19 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today that Malaysia and Turkmenistan have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation through the establishment of a joint commission.

He said the foreign ministers of both nations will implement this initiative early next year to solidify their collaboration.

“We are both committed to ensuring that the level of cooperation is elevated through the establishment of a joint commission between the two countries. The foreign ministers will follow through on this collaboration early next year,” he said during a joint press conference with Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedow here.

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Anwar also expressed Malaysia’s gratitude for Turkmenistan’s continued support, particularly in facilitating the operations of PETRONAS Carigali Sdn Bhd in the Central Asian nation.

He also commended Berdimuhamedow for his comprehensive vision of development.

“I am particularly impressed by the President’s interest not only in enhancing trade and investments between the countries but also in his very comprehensive view of what development entails, including the cultural sphere, and his promotion of international peace, which we fully support,” Anwar said.

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Berdimuhamedow, who is on a two-day official visit, earlier attended an official welcoming ceremony at the Perdana Putra Complex.

Meanwhile, in a joint statement, both leaders emphasised the importance of enhancing cooperation in transportation, culture, education, tourism and sports, which will contribute to strengthening relations between Malaysia and Turkmenistan.

Anwar and Berdimuhamedow also agreed that in efforts to promote people-to-people contact and understanding, exchange programmes between institutions of higher education and research institutes should be further strengthened.

They reaffirmed their commitment to promoting cooperation in higher education by welcoming the signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between the public and private universities of both countries.

Both leaders also welcomed the signing of an MoU in tourism.

They also reiterated that international challenges, including the Palestine issue, must be resolved through peaceful means, in accordance with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.

Anwar and Berdimuhamedow called for unimpeded access to humanitarian aid in Palestinian territories and emphasised the importance of a just and lasting solution to the challenge of bringing peace and stability to the region.

Trade between Malaysia and Turkmenistan has shown remarkable growth, with total trade from January to October 2024 surging by 74.8 per cent.

The trade value reached RM63.28 million (US$13.90 million), compared to RM36.19 million (US$7.91 million) during the same period last year.

 In 2023, Turkmenistan was Malaysia’s fourth-largest trading partner among Central Asian countries, with total trade amounting to RM48.62 million (US$10.57 million).

Diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Turkmenistan were officially established in 1992.

-- BERNAMA