Malaysia, Turkmenistan To Strengthen Ties, Petronas Central To Relationship

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 19 (Bernama) – Turkmenistan and Malaysia are poised to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation, focusing on energy, trade, and innovation, said Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedow.

During his two-day official visit to Malaysia, Berdimuhamedow highlighted the longstanding collaboration in the energy sector, particularly the contributions of Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) in Turkmenistan, describing it as a testament to the mutually beneficial relationship between the two nations.

“The work of the Malaysian state oil and gas company, Petronas, which has been successfully operating in Turkmenistan for many years, serves as an example of mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation.

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“Turkmenistan sees great prospects for collaborative work in implementing projects in energy transfer and communications, construction, oil and gas processing, the chemical industry, high technologies, innovative urban planning, tourism, and several other areas,” he said.

The Turkmenistan president made the remarks during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim held at the Perdana Putra Complex in conjunction with his official visit to Malaysia.

Anwar and Berdimuhamedow also witnessed the signing of three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) -- between Malaysia and Turkmenistan in tourism, the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MICCI) and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan, as well as between the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM) and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan.

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The two leaders also witnessed the exchange of notes between Malaysia and Turkmenistan on the Partial Visa Abolishment Agreement for diplomatic and official passport holders (PVAA), Air Services Agreement (ASA) and Aviation Industry, as well as between the institutes of foreign relations of both countries on cooperation in the field of training for diplomats and scientific exchange.

Berdimuhamedow noted that the visit had resulted in the signing of several important agreements, which will pave the way for deeper collaboration across various fields.

“We highly appreciate the results of our visit to Malaysia. The agreements reached and the documents adopted will contribute to further deepening our bilateral relations, especially in trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian areas,” he said.

Earlier, Berdimuhamedow was accorded a formal welcoming ceremony at the Perdana Putra Complex.

This is his inaugural visit to Malaysia since assuming office in March 2022.

Trade between Malaysia and Turkmenistan has experienced strong growth, with total trade soaring by 74.8 per cent from January to October 2024, rising to RM63.28 million, compared to RM36.19 million during the same period last year.

In 2023, Turkmenistan was Malaysia’s fourth-largest trading partner among Central Asian countries, with total trade worth RM48.62 million.

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

-- BERNAMA