Packed Schedule For PM Anwar On White Marble City Visit

From Sharifah Hunaini Syed Ismail

ASHGABAT (TURKMENISTAN), June 19 (Bernama) -- The second and final day of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s official visit to Turkmenistan will be filled with a series of high-level engagements in the Central Asian nation, which lies along the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea.

In the morning, the prime minister is scheduled to attend a welcoming ceremony hosted by Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov at the Presidential Palace, followed by a four-eye meeting with the president.

Anwar and Berdimuhamedov will later have a bilateral meeting, followed by the signing of a joint statement and the exchange of agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoU) concluded by the two governments.

Both leaders are expected to discuss the current state of bilateral relations and explore avenues to further strengthen cooperation in trade and investment, oil and gas, agriculture and commodities, energy, tourism, education, digital, and science and technology. 

They are also expected to exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, particularly developments in ASEAN and the Central Asia.  

The prime minister and Berdimuhamedov are also expected to sign a joint statement in conjunction with the official visit and witness the exchange of several key documents, including an Air Services Agreement and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between both countries' foreign affairs institutes. 

Both leaders will also witness the exchange of an MoU between the Ministry of Transport and the State Service of Turkmenistan; an MoU between the Academy of Sciences Malaysia and the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan; as well as several documents in the field of oil and gas.

Anwar will then attend a luncheon hosted by Berdimuhamedov at the Presidential Palace before performing Friday prayers at the Turkmenbashi Ruhy Mosque. 

Later, Anwar will jointly officiate the Malaysia-Turkmenistan Forum with Berdimuhamedov at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan, before holding a press conference with Malaysian media to conclude the visit.

Anwar is accompanied by Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, Minister of Economy Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir, as well as officials from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Foreign Ministry.

Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, is globally renowned as the 'White Marble City' and holds the Guinness World Record for the highest concentration of white marble-clad buildings, boasting over 500 such structures. 

The city is known for its monumental architecture, extensive gold-leaf detailing and broad, immaculate avenues.

Turkmenistan is bordered by Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to the north, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest, and the Caspian Sea to the west.

The Caspian Sea is the world’s largest inland body of water, and is technically an endorheic basin - meaning it has no outlets.

In 2025, Turkmenistan was Malaysia's fourth largest trading partner among Central Asian nations.

Total trade between Malaysia and Turkmenistan amounted to RM75.80 million, with Malaysian exports valued at RM75.50 million, registering a 9 per cent increase compared with the previous year.

Turkmenistan is also a major investment destination for national oil company Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), with the company’s total investments in the country reaching RM52.73 billion since 1996.

-- BERNAMA