ISMI expert: The President of Uzbekistan's visit to Malaysia marks a new direction in Uzbek-Malaysian partnership.

This fact illustrates that Uzbekistan and Malaysia are not merely making declarations of intent, but are actively putting them into practice.

The agenda of the current high-level Uzbek-Malaysian events was extremely rich and laid the groundwork for further strengthening mutually beneficial partnerships across several priority areas.

The first is the activation of cooperation in the field of industrial cooperation. Uzbekistan is particularly interested in Malaysia's experience in developing the semiconductor industry. Ranking 6th in the world for semiconductor exports, this country showcases impressive results. Malaysia's achievements in strategic planning, marketing, and infrastructure development could be especially beneficial for Uzbekistan, which possesses deposits of over 30 rare and non-ferrous metals, including lithium, magnesium, molybdenum, germanium, vanadium, and indium.

In this context, the agreement to establish a special economic zone in the Tashkent region under the management of a leading Malaysian company is of particular significance, as well as the announcement that 2025-2026 will be a period of innovative development for the 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 over 60% of the population is youth, issues related to education, training specialists, and unlocking the creative potential of citizens are of paramount importance.

In this context, Malaysia appears to be a promising partner. The country has a developed higher education system, which includes 20 public and 50 private universities, as well as branches of leading global universities. Attracting over 130,000 international students, Malaysia ranks 11th among the most popular destinations for international education. Such cooperation opens up opportunities for experience exchange and the implementation of modern educational practices.

An important step in this direction was the agreement reached during the visit to prepare highly qualified personnel based at Petronas University.

Another potentially beneficial area 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 in growth. It is expected that by 2025, its volume will reach $2.4 trillion with an annual growth rate of 3.5%.

Malaysia is rightly considered a world leader in this field, and its achievements in developing the halal economy have gained international recognition. The widespread acceptance of Malaysian "Halal" certification, which is recognized in over 100 countries, is impressive.

Uzbekistan, as a country with a predominantly Muslim population, shows significant interest in developing this industry. Partnership with Malaysia could act as a catalyst for enhancing the competitiveness of Uzbek products in the global market.

Overall, summarizing the visit, one can confidently state that Uzbek-Malaysian relations have entered a qualitatively new phase of development. Intensive cooperation at the highest level, backed by concrete economic initiatives and institutional mechanisms, lays a solid foundation for long-term strategic partnership.

In turn, the implementation of the agreements reached opens up broad prospects for modernizing Uzbekistan's economy, creating new jobs, and improving the well-being of the population. Furthermore, fruitful interaction with Malaysia strengthens our country'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 ISMI

under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.