President of Turkmenistan Meets with Prime Minister of Malaysia

President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov received Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim at the Oguzhan Palace Complex in Ashgabat on Friday. Following the official welcoming ceremony, the two sides held bilateral talks, according to the Watan news program.

Serdar Berdimuhamedov welcomed the distinguished guest and thanked him for accepting the invitation to pay an official visit to Turkmenistan. The Head of State noted that Anwar Ibrahim’s visit is regarded as an important event in the history of the two countries and peoples, expressing confidence that it would provide fresh impetus for the further strengthening of Turkmen–Malaysian relations.

Anwar Ibrahim expressed his gratitude for the hospitality extended on Turkmen land and conveyed greetings from the King of Malaysia, Sultan Ibrahim, to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and to the National Leader of the Turkmen people and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. He also stated that Malaysia fully supports Turkmenistan’s initiatives aimed at fostering friendly relations with countries around the world and implementing its policy of positive neutrality.

During the talks, Anwar Ibrahim recalled President Serdar Berdimuhamedov’s visit to Malaysia, noting that the agreements reached at that time had given new momentum to the development of bilateral relations. The parties highlighted effective cooperation in the diplomatic, trade and economic, as well as cultural and humanitarian spheres, and underscored their successful collaboration within the United Nations and other international organizations.

The meeting noted that trade and economic cooperation remains one of the key areas of Turkmen–Malaysian relations. In this regard, the parties emphasized the successful results of the 30-year cooperation of the Malaysian company PETRONAS in Turkmenistan’s oil and gas sector. In addition, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted that Turkmen specialists educated at Malaysian higher education institutions are working across various sectors of the national economy and expressed appreciation to the Malaysian side for its contribution.

At the end of the meeting, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reaffirmed their readiness to continue joint efforts to further advance relations between Turkmenistan and Malaysia. The talks then continued in an expanded format with the participation of the delegations of both countries.