PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Uzbekistan have reaffirmed their commitment to combating corruption and deepening bilateral cooperation in education, tourism, and other sectors.
In a joint statement, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev also expressed appreciation for the existing cooperation between anti-corruption bodies of both countries.
"They agreed to enhance collaboration in anti-corruption education for civil servants and law enforcement officers and to promote the regular exchange of experiences and best practices on anti-corruption issues,” the statement on Wednesday (Feb 5) read.
Both leaders also agreed to further strengthen exchange programmes between higher education institutions and research institutes in efforts to promote people-to-people contact and mutual understanding between the two nations.
The statement also highlighted the importance of expanding educational cooperation in areas such as joint research, academic partnerships, as well as the sharing of expertise, to foster closer ties and knowledge exchange between Malaysia and Uzbekistan.
The joint statement was issued in conjunction with Mirziyoyev’s maiden two-day official visit to Malaysia, at the invitation of Anwar, beginning on Wednesday.
Earlier, Mirziyoyev, who assumed the President’s Office in December 2016 after serving as Prime Minister of Uzbekistan since 2003, was accorded an official welcome at Perdana Putra before having a one-on-one meeting with Anwar, who visited Uzbekistan in May last year.
Tourism cooperation was another key area discussed, with both leaders recognising its potential to boost bilateral relations.
Both leaders also agreed to capitalise on Malaysia's ‘Visit Malaysia 2026’ campaign and explore opportunities in Islamic and halal tourism, including the promotion of the ‘Umrah+’ programme to promote Malaysia and Uzbekistan as pre- or post-pilgrimage tourism destinations for visitors from both countries.
To enhance accessibility, they also agreed to utilise the direct Kuala Lumpur-Tashkent flight, operated by Uzbekistan Airways and Batik Air Malaysia.
In the joint statement, both leaders also expressed their deep satisfaction with the continued success of the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP), which has been instrumental in enhancing bilateral relations and fostering greater cooperation between the two countries.
Since the establishment of Malaysia-Uzbekistan diplomatic relations in 1992, both countries have enjoyed mutual benefits across various fields of interest.
In 2024, Malaysia’s total trade with Uzbekistan was RM369.8mil (US$80.9mil), a slight decline of 13.2% from the RM426.1mil (US$94mil) recorded in 2023.
In the same year, the trade balance is also in Malaysia’s favour at RM360.3mil (US$78.9mil). - Bernama
