PUTRAJAYA: Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who is on a two-day official visit to Malaysia, was accorded an official welcome at Perdana Putra here on Wednesday (Feb 5).
Mirziyoyev, who arrived on Tuesday for his maiden visit to Malaysia since assuming office in December 2016, was received by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim upon his arrival at 10am.
The national anthems of both countries were then played.
Mirziyoyev then inspected a guard of honour mounted by three officers and 102 members of the First Battalion of the Royal Ranger Regiment (Ceremonial).
Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Cabinet members, foreign diplomats and senior government officials.
Mirziyoyev later signed the guest book before holding a one-on-one meeting with Anwar.
Both leaders are expected to review the progress of Malaysia-Uzbekistan bilateral relations following Anwar’s official visit to Uzbekistan in May 2024, particularly in trade and investment, the halal industry, education, connectivity and tourism.
They will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, including Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship in 2025.
The leaders will then proceed to Kompleks Seri Perdana to witness the exchange of three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on cooperation in health, forensic sciences and culture, along with exchanges of notes in higher education, diplomatic training, halal certification and customs.
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. The trade balance is in Malaysia’s favour at RM360.3mil (US$78.9mil).
In 2024, Uzbekistan remained Malaysia’s second-largest trading partner among the Central Asian countries. - Bernama
