On the second day of the official visit to Malaysia – on 19 December 2024 – summit talks were held in Kuala Lumpur between President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim.
Negotiations in a narrow format
Traditionally, the negotiations were initially held in a narrow format.
At the beginning of the meeting, President Berdimuhamedov conveyed greetings to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim from the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Khalk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, and also expressed greetings to the King of Malaysia Sultan Ibrahim.
The President noted that Turkmenistan and Malaysia are aimed at consistently building up partnership in the political, diplomatic, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres.
Two countries also closely cooperate within the framework of major international structures, primarily the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Non-Aligned Movement.
Turkmenistan stands together with Malaysia for equality and justice in international affairs and for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. In this regard, the Head of state expressed gratitude to the Malaysian side for supporting Turkmenistan’s neutral foreign policy and important international initiatives promoted within the framework of the United Nations and other international structures.
During the meeting, the sides called for further strengthening constructive political dialogue, building up trade and economic ties, and stressed the importance of stimulating humanitarian and cultural contacts.
The sides also exchanged views on topical issues of regional and international politics of mutual interest.
Negotiations in an expanded format
Further negotiations continued in an expanded format with the participation of members of the government delegations of Turkmenistan and Malaysia.
Welcoming the delegation of Turkmenistan, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, on his own behalf and on behalf of the King of Malaysia Sultan Ibrahim, conveyed greetings to the National Leader of the Turkmen people Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, noting the great importance of Arkadag’s official visit to Malaysia in 2016.
Focusing on issues of cooperation in the fuel and energy sector, the Prime Minister thanked Turkmenistan for creating favorable conditions for the effective operation of the State Oil and Gas Company Petronas.
It was also stressed that cultural and humanitarian dialogue is among the priorities of bilateral cooperation. The Prime Minister said that the academic community of Malaysia is engaged in translating the works of the great Turkmen classical poet Magtymguly Fragi into Malay.
Then the floor was given to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.
The Head of Turkmenistan proposed to determine the areas for the consistent expansion of bilateral relations.
“We successfully cooperate and support each other within the framework of major international organizations such as the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Non-Aligned Movement. We also highly appreciate Malaysia’s respect for Turkmenistan’s foreign policy,” President Serdar Berdimuhamedov said, confirming that Turkmenistan would continue to support the Malaysian side’s initiatives to strengthen international peace, security, and sustainable development.
The Head of State stressed the importance of Turkmen-Malaysian parliamentary cooperation. In this regard, it was proposed to intensify interaction between parliamentarians, as well as to develop a plan for the participation of legislators in major international forums held in both countries.
President Serdar Berdimuhamedov also noted the expediency of establishing regular political consultations in order to enhance cooperation between the foreign ministries.
The key segment of Turkmen-Malaysian relations is the trade and economic partnership. In this regard, it was proposed to explore the partnership opportunities in such sectors as agriculture, textile industry, energy and transport.
In this regard, a Joint Turkmen-Malaysian business Forum has been proposed in Ashgabat.
At the same time, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov proposed the creation of a Joint Turkmen-Malaysian intergovernmental commission on Economic, scientific and technical cooperation to build up trade and economic partnership.
He also stressed that Turkmenistan attaches great importance to the development of humanitarian ties. In particular, he proposed to hold the Days of Malaysian Culture in Ashgabat next year.
The growing number of Turkmen students studying in Malaysia, currently around 300, indicates increased interest in Malaysian higher education.
President Serdar Berdimuhamedov also noted that the decision to hold the World Water Congress and Exhibition in Sarawak in 2028 once again confirms the relevance of Malaysia’s initiatives in the international arena. In this regard, the Head of state stated that Turkmenistan will participate in this high-level forum.
In turn, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim noted that cooperation in the political, diplomatic, economic, agricultural and cultural spheres occupies an important place in the interstate dialogue.
The Prime Minister said that Malaysia attaches great importance to the development of partnership with Turkmenistan in the trade sphere. In this context, the readiness to increase trade in food products and exchange experience in this area was confirmed.
Noting that Turkmenistan actively cooperates with the Petronas oil and gas company, Anwar Ibrahim expressed gratitude for the support provided in this direction.
Noting that bilateral cooperation in the field of education continues to expand, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stressed that productive ties in the field of training specialists will continue to develop.
Malaysia attaches great importance to strengthening relations between Kuala Lumpur and Ashgabat. There are ample opportunities to enhance cooperation between the two countries.
Noting that Turkmenistan is implementing initiatives to create “green” and “smart” cities, the head of the Malaysian Government expressed congratulations to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov on achievements in this field.
Focusing on the international initiatives put forward by Turkmenistan, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stressed that the country’s experience in this area is very important for Malaysia.
The launching of direct flights has significantly boosted tourism cooperation, as evidenced by increased tourist numbers. Malaysia has expressed its willingness to offer various benefits to tourists to further enhance this growth.
Touching upon the topic of energy cooperation, Anwar Ibrahim confirmed Malaysia’s readiness to implement projects in these areas. At the same time, support was expressed for Turkmenistan’s initiative to create the Central Asia + ASEAN format and readiness for cooperation within its framework.
In conclusion, he emphasized Turkmenistan’s adherence to the principles of neutrality in its foreign policy, which Malaysia supports.
Documents signed
After the talks, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim signed a joint statement between Turkmenistan and Malaysia following the official visit.
The parties also exchanged notes:
1. On the Agreement between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of Malaysia on the partial cancellation of visa requirements;
2. Notes on the Agreement between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of Malaysia on air transport and cooperation in the field of aviation industry;
3. Diplomatic notes on mutual understanding between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of Malaysia in the field of training diplomats and cooperation on scientific exchange;
4. Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of Malaysia on cooperation in the field of tourism;
5. Protocol on the Commercial Terms of the Production Sharing Agreement for the Development of the Toplum-I Contractual Territory in the Turkmen section of the Caspian Sea;
6. Memorandum of Understanding between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan and the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry;
7. Memorandum of Understanding between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan and the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia.
Press conference
After the signing ceremony, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and President Serdar Berdimuhamedov addressed at a press conference where they announced the key results of the negotiations.
In his speech, the Prime Minister noted that interaction and consultations between foreign ministries, as well as the creation of cooperation commissions, play an important role in the development of bilateral relations. Anwar Ibrahim stressed that the visits of the National Leader of the Turkmen people to Malaysia in recent years have significantly expanded the bilateral partnership.
The Head of the Malaysian Government expressed gratitude to Turkmenistan for creating conditions for the effective operation of Petronas Carigali and confirmed Malaysia’s readiness to further enhance multifaceted cooperation and contribution to the economic development of Turkmenistan.
He also expressed confidence that the Turkmen-Malaysian cooperation will expand not only in the trade and economic sphere, but also in such areas as agriculture and new technologies focused on sustainable development.
Special attention was paid to the 300th anniversary of the birth of Magtymguly Fragi. The Prime Minister said that the Malaysian diplomatic mission in Turkmenistan, together with Turkmen scientists, is working on translating the poet’s poems into Malay.
Anwar Ibrahim expressed confidence that cooperation in the cultural and humanitarian field will contribute to strengthening the dialogue between the two countries based on the principles of mutual understanding and respect.
Speech by the President of Turkmenistan at a press conference
Dear representatives of the media! Ladies and gentlemen!
First of all, on behalf of the delegation of Turkmenistan, I would like to express my gratitude to the distinguished Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mr. Anwar Ibrahim, for the invitation and the conditions provided for joint work.
Today we held very constructive talks guided by the interests of our peoples and allowed us to determine the prospects for economic development, as well as discussed issues of regional and international policy. I thank the representatives of Malaysia for the high-level talks.
I would like to note that the positions of Turkmenistan and Malaysia on topical issues on the international agenda coincide or are close.
Both states rely on the principles of peacefulness, equality and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, advocating for strengthening security and stability in global and regional dimensions.
Turkmenistan and Malaysia are firm supporters of building a fair and balanced system of international relations based on taking into account the interests of all States and strengthening the positions of developing countries in world politics. The meetings and negotiations that took place today confirmed the commitment of both sides to these goals.
We highly appreciate the equal and mutually beneficial relations between Turkmenistan and Malaysia within the framework of major international platforms, primarily the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
The negotiations that took place today cover a wide range of cooperation, in particular, the parties showed interest in establishing and expanding trade and economic ties.
In this regard, we see great prospects for joint projects in such areas as energy, transport and communications, construction, oil and gas refining, chemical industry, high technologies, innovative urban planning, tourism, etc.
In the field of economic cooperation, Turkmenistan expresses interest in intensifying cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
During the negotiations, we highlighted the accumulated positive experience of bilateral relations and the existing opportunities for increasing investments. The activities of the Malaysian state-owned oil and gas company Petronas Carigali, which has been successfully operating in our country for many years, serve as an example of mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation.
Strengthening cultural and humanitarian ties is also one of the key areas. We have agreed to hold joint events aimed at maintaining cultural and humanitarian dialogue between our friendly peoples and expanding bilateral relations in this area.
We highly appreciate the results of the visit to Malaysia: the agreements and the important documents adopted will significantly deepen bilateral relations and realize the huge potential of cooperation in trade, economic, cultural, humanitarian and other fields.
In conclusion, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the distinguished Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mr. Anwar Ibrahim, for his hospitality, as well as taking this opportunity to wish peace, prosperity and prosperity to the friendly people of Malaysia!
Visit to the Petronas office
In the afternoon, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov visited the famous Petronas skyscraper, where he held a meeting with the heads of the Petronas Carigali company.
During the meeting, priority areas of cooperation, the current state and prospects of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the company were discussed. The parties noted the wide opportunities for enhancing constructive partnership.
The oil and gas sector of Turkmenistan was named one of the most dynamically developing industries, while emphasizing the significant contribution of Petronas to the development of the country’s energy potential. It was noted that the company has been actively involved in projects for the extraction of hydrocarbon resources in Turkmenistan for almost 30 years and has been effectively training qualified specialists for the oil and gas industry.
The parties also discussed the possibilities of further enhancing cooperation in new areas, taking into account economic development programs, reforms in the industrial sector and conducive business environment in Turkmenistan.
President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, following a meeting, visited the iconic Skybridge connecting the Petronas Towers. Executives provided him with insights into the history and remarkable features of this architectural marvel.
The Petronas Towers, soaring 451.9 meters high with 88 floors, stand as a testament to architectural ingenuity. Designed by Argentine architect Cesar Pelly over six years, these skyscrapers accommodates exhibition and conference halls, an art gallery, and extensive office space, spanning a total area of 213,750 square meters.
A unique aspect of their construction lies in the utilization of exclusively Malaysian-produced materials. Engineers developed a particularly durable and elastic concrete, making the towers significantly heavier than comparable steel structures.
The Skybridge, situated between the 41st and 42nd floors, is a feat of engineering in itself. At 58.4 meters long and weighing 750 tons, it holds the distinction of being the world’s tallest two-tier bridge, offering breathtaking views from 170 meters above the ground.
The Petronas Towers captivate visitors not only with their sheer size and intricate construction but also as a renowned tourist destination.
Official luncheon
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim hosted an official luncheon in honor of the visit of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.
The visit of the President of Turkmenistan to Malaysia wrapped up
At Kuala Lumpur International Airport, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov had a conversation with an official representative of Malaysia. Taking the opportunity, the representative of Malaysia congratulated the head of Turkmenistan on the successful completion of the official visit and presented as a gift a special edition dedicated to mutual visits at the highest level.
Then the head of Turkmenistan left for Ashgabat. ///nCa, 20 December 2024 [photo credit – TDH, Bernama]