Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim will undertake an official visit to Turkmenistan on 18 and 19 June 2026 at the invitation of President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov. The visit is to reciprocate the official visit of the President of Turkmenistan to Malaysia in December 2024.
The visit also coincides with the 30th anniversary of PETRONAS’ operations in Turkmenistan, reflecting three decades of Malaysia’s economic engagement with the country since PETRONAS commenced operations there on 11 May 1996. He will be accompanied by Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Utama Johari Abdul Ghani, Minister of Economy Haji Akmal Nasrullah bin Mohd Nasir, and senior government officials.
Both leaders will discuss the current state of bilateral relations and explore avenues to further strengthen cooperation in trade and investment, oil and gas, agriculture and commodities, energy, tourism, education and people-to-people exchanges, digital, and science and technology. Both leaders will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, particularly developments in ASEAN and the Central Asian region.
The Prime Minister and President Serdar Berdimuhamedov is also expected to sign a Joint Statement in conjunction with the official visit, and witness the exchange of several key documents, including an Air Services Agreement between Government of Malaysia and Government of Turkmenistan; a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Institute of International Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan; a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Transport and the State Service of Turkmenistan; Memorandum of Understanding between the Academy of Sciences Malaysia and the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan; as well as several documents in the field of oil and gas.
The Prime Minister is also expected to jointly officiate the Malaysia–Turkmenistan Forum with President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.
In 2025, Turkmenistan was Malaysia’s fourth-largest trading partner among Central Asian nations. Total trade between Malaysia and Turkmenistan amounted to RM75.80 million, with Malaysian exports valued at RM75.50 million, registering a 9 per cent increase compared with the previous year. Turkmenistan is also a major investment destination for PETRONAS, with PETRONAS’ total investments in Turkmenistan reaching RM52.73 billion from 1996 to date.
