MALAYSIA, UZBEKISTAN TO EXPLORE COOPERATION IN PETROCHEMICALS SECTOR

From Kamarul Ariffin Md Yassin

TASHKENT, May 17 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Uzbekistan have agreed to explore opportunities for cooperation in the petrochemicals sector and clean green energy solutions, said Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The Uzbek side has expressed a keen interest in collaborating with Petronas, particularly through the methanol-to-olefins (MTO) and derivatives project, as well as in the green hydrogen and associated derivates production, including green ammonia, they said in a joint statement.

“Both sides welcomed Petronas’s potential contribution to the training of Uzbekistan personnel in the oil and gas sector,” the statement said.

The Uzbek side also noted that Malaysia is one of the largest centres of Islamic finance in the world and expressed its readiness to provide necessary assistance to Malaysian commercial banks in active participation in the financial market of Uzbekistan to establish mutual cooperation in the field of Islamic finance.

“Malaysia took note of the interest and is ready to engage with Uzbekistan on the development of Islamic finance ecosystem in Uzbekistan. The leaders confirmed their determination to enhance and strengthen framework of bilateral treaty-based cooperation through signing of new long-term documents in investment, law enforcement, education, innovation, customs and other areas of mutual interest,” the statement said. 

Earlier, Anwar paid a courtesy call on Mirziyoyev and held a meeting with the President.

During the one-hour meeting, the two leaders discussed relations between Malaysia and Uzbekistan as well as exploring potential areas of cooperation.

Earlier, the special aircraft carrying Anwar, who was flying in from Kazakhstan, landed at the Tashkent International Airport at 2.15 pm local time.

Uzbekistan is the last stop of Anwar’s official visit to three Central Asian countries. He had earlier visited the Kyrgyz Republic and Kazakhstan.

-- BERNAMA