Kyrgyzstan Seeks Malaysia’s Expertise In Finance, Halal Industry & Tourism

By Wan Muhammad Aslah Wan Razali

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 (Bernama) -- Kyrgyzstan is seeking to deepen its bilateral ties with Malaysia, focussing on expertise in financial management, the halal industry, and tourism development, according to its Ambassador to Malaysia, Anvar Anarbaev.

The ambassador commended on Malaysia's economic success, describing it as a "tiger nation" and a "success story" that Kyrgyzstan aspires to emulate.

Anarbaev also highlighted that Malaysia's expertise and experience in economic development are invaluable to Kyrgyzstan.

He noted the possibility of appointing a special advisor from Malaysia to assist Kyrgyzstan in implementing similar strategies within its unique geopolitical context.

This context includes its position, surrounded by larger economies such as China and Russia, and its regional security challenges.

The potential appointment of a special advisor to the government of Kyrgyzstan from Malaysia was a topic of discussion during Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's visit to Kyrgyzstan in May.

The request was made by Kyrgyzstan’s Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Akylbek Zhaparov.

Anarbaev said another key focus of the discussions during Anwar’s visit was Malaysia's pilgrimage fund, Tabung Haji.

"Tabung Haji is something unique, not just for the region but for the world. We are closely studying it as we want to introduce a similar system in Kyrgyzstan, as our financial management for Hajj pilgrims is not yet fully developed,” he said to Bernama, on Friday (Aug 23), here. 

The ambassador also expressed Kyrgyzstan's interest in Malaysia’s halal industry, which is globally recognised for its standards and efficiency.

He explained that Kyrgyzstan produces meat products such as lamb, beef, and honey and sees the growing halal market as an opportunity to expand its exports, not only to Muslim-majority countries but also to non-Muslim countries like China, where there is a growing demand for halal products.

"We are reaching out to halal corporations in Malaysia to organise training for us. We aim to improve our imports and exports and capitalise on the rising demand for halal products, especially in China, which shares a border with Kyrgyzstan," he said.

Addressing tourism, Anarbaev discussed the connectivity challenges between the two nations, emphasising the need for direct flights to foster better understanding and relations between the peoples of Kyrgyzstan and Malaysia.

"We see a growing number of Malaysian tourists visiting Kyrgyzstan. We are working to promote tourism further, including organising a regional tour that would cover Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian countries," he noted.

As part of these efforts, Anarbaev revealed that Kyrgyzstan is planning a tourism roadshow in Malaysia on Oct 28, sponsored by the Kyrgyzstan Tourism Development Support Fund.

The event will invite Malaysian travel agencies to help promote Kyrgyzstan as a tourist destination.

In addition to promoting tourism, Kyrgyzstan is working on establishing direct flights between the two countries.

He said a delegation led by the head of Kyrgyzstan's Civil Aviation Authority visited Malaysia in June, holding negotiations with Malaysian government agencies, including the Ministry of Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia.

"We are optimistic about launching direct flights, possibly chartered initially, once or twice a week," he added. 

Meanwhile, the ambassador highlighted the significance of Kyrgyzstan's Independence Day celebrations, which coincidentally fall on the same date as Malaysia's Independence Day, Aug 31.

"It is a major holiday in Kyrgyzstan; we cherish our independence, and every citizen is patriotic. Everyone is striving to contribute to the development of Kyrgyzstan, and the fact that we celebrate our independence with Malaysia is very beautiful," he added.

-- BERNAMA