Turkmenistan will receive Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on an official visit from June 18 to 19, a trip aimed at broadening ties in oil and gas and beyond, Malaysia’s Ambassador to Turkmenistan Mohd Suhaimi Ahmad Tajuddin said.
Mohd Suhaimi told Malaysian media the visit, at the invitation of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, is expected to produce deals in energy and open opportunities in transportation, logistics, agriculture, halal manufacturing, AI and digital animation.
Bernama reported the delegation will include Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, Economy Minister Datuk Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir and senior officials from the Foreign Ministry, MITI and the Economy Ministry.
The ambassador said one key outcome will be a continuation of national oil company PETRONAS’s operations in Turkmenistan for another 20 to 25 years, through an agreement expected to be signed during the visit, building on a deal signed last year with a new partner, XRG, an investment arm of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.
Officials scheduled a packed programme on June 19, Bernama reported, including a welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace, a one-on-one meeting between the leaders, bilateral talks, signing of a joint statement, exchange of agreements and memoranda of understanding, and an official luncheon hosted by President Berdimuhamedov.
Anwar is also due to attend a dinner with the Malaysian diaspora and friends of Malaysia, perform Friday prayers at the Gypjak Mosque with Turkmenistan’s mufti Yalkap Hojagulyyev, and speak at the Turkmenistan Malaysia Forum held in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of bilateral cooperation in the oil and gas sector, Bernama said.
Country Context And Economic Stakes
The Turkmenistan profile included in source material notes the country sits on substantial hydrocarbon resources, including the world’s fifth largest natural gas reserves, and hosts the Galkynysh gas field.
The profile says Turkmenistan has pursued pipeline projects such as the East West pipeline and the Turkmenistan Afghanistan Pakistan India pipeline and that gas export routes to China and elsewhere remain central to its economy.
That same profile records frequent criticism of Turkmenistan’s human rights record, restrictions on press and religious freedoms, and governance under Saparmurat Niyazov, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and now Serdar Berdimuhamedow.
Bernama data in the Malaysia report put bilateral trade at RM75.8 million last year with Malaysia recording a trade surplus of RM75.2 million and agricultural products accounting for 68.8 percent of Malaysia’s exports to Turkmenistan.
The Turkmenistan profile also notes wider economic and social indicators reported in source material, including population and GDP estimates, steps to diversify exports and recent reporting that many of the world’s largest methane leaks in 2025 originated in the country.
