Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 4-5 February 2025, the official visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, to Malaysia took place at the invitation of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. This reciprocal visit, following just nine months after the meeting of the two leaders in Tashkent in May 2024, underscores the high level of mutual trust and the desire of both parties to strengthen bilateral relations.

This fact demonstrates that Uzbekistan and Malaysia are not limited to declarations of intent but are actively implementing them.

The agenda of the current high-level Uzbek-Malaysian events was intensive and laid the foundation for further strengthening mutually beneficial partnerships in several priority areas.

The first area is the activation of cooperation in industrial collaboration. Malaysia’s experience in developing the semiconductor industry holds particular interest for Uzbekistan. Ranking sixth globally in semiconductor exports, Malaysia shows impressive results. Its achievements in strategic planning, marketing, and infrastructure development could be particularly valuable to Uzbekistan, which possesses deposits of over 30 rare-earth and non-ferrous metals, including lithium, magnesium, molybdenum, germanium, vanadium, and indium.

In this context, the agreement to establish a special economic zone in Tashkent region under the management of a leading Malaysian company is of great importance, as well as the announcement of the years 2025-2026 as the period for the innovative development of Uzbek-Malaysian partnership.

The second key direction is cooperation in the field of education and human capital development. Human resources are the main wealth of any society and the primary criterion for socio-economic progress. For Uzbekistan, where more than 60% of the population is young, issues of education, professional training, and unlocking the creative potential of citizens are of paramount importance.

In this regard, Malaysia appears as a promising partner. The country has a developed higher education system, including 20 public and 50 private universities, as well as branches of leading global universities.

With more than 130,000 international students, Malaysia ranks 11th among the most popular destinations for international education. Such cooperation opens opportunities for exchanging experiences and implementing modern educational practices.

An important step in this direction was the agreement reached during the visit to train highly qualified specialists at Petronas University.

Another potentially profitable vector for strengthening bilateral partnership is cooperation in the production of halal products. According to recent data, this segment of the global market is experiencing a peak of growth. It is expected that by 2025, its volume will reach 2.4 trillion dollars with an annual growth rate of 3.5%.

Malaysia rightfully holds the title of a global leader in this field, and its achievements in the development of the halal economy have received international recognition. The widespread acceptance of the Malaysian "Halal" certification, which is accepted in more than 100 countries, is impressive.

Uzbekistan, as a country with a predominantly Muslim population, shows significant interest in developing this sector. Cooperation with Malaysia can become a catalyst for increasing the competitiveness of Uzbek products in the global market.

In general, summarizing the visit, it can confidently be stated that Uzbek-Malaysian relations have entered a qualitatively new phase of development. Intensive cooperation at the highest level, supported by specific economic initiatives and institutional mechanisms, lays a solid foundation for long-term strategic partnership.

The implementation of the agreements reached opens wide prospects for modernizing Uzbekistan’s economy, creating new jobs, and improving the population’s welfare. Furthermore, fruitful cooperation with Malaysia strengthens Uzbekistan’s position as a reliable partner in Central Asia and contributes to the diversification of foreign economic ties in the Asia-Pacific region.

Sarvar Rahmatullaev, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies of the Republic of Uzbekistan