KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be embarking on an official visit to the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan from May 15 to 19, at the invitation of President Sadyr Japarov of the Kyrgyz Republic, President Kasym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan.
Anwar who is currently in Doha, Qatar on a three-day official visit at the invitation of the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, will travel to the three countries accompanied by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hassan; International Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz; Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Sri Tiong King Sing and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Mohd Na'im Mokhtar.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir will be joining the delegation in the Kyrgyz Republic.
According to a statement from the Foreign Ministry, in the Kyrgyz Republic, the Prime Minister will be received in a full State Welcoming Ceremony before meeting with President Sadyr Japarov to discuss bilateral, regional and international issues of concern to both countries.
At the request of the Kyrgyz Government, Anwar will also visit the indigenous community's craft and wares exhibit at Ala Archa National Park.
Malaysia-Kyrgyz total trade registered at RM162.3 million (USD36.35 million) last year, a 312.6 per cent increase compared with 2022.
Malaysia exported RM161.1 million (USD36.09 million) worth of goods to the Kyrgyz Republic in 2023 and imported RM1.22 million (USD0.27 million) worth of electrical and electronic products, as well as chemical and chemical products.
In Kazakhstan, Anwar is expected to have a Kazakhstan-Malaysia Investment Round Table meeting with a number of Kazakhstan industries, and he will meet with President Kasym-Jomart Tokayev on May 17 to discuss matters of importance to both countries and exchange views on regional and international issues.
Malaysia's total trade with Kazakhstan last year stood at RM474.5 million (USD104.2 million), with RM465.6 million (USD102.2 million) worth of exports of Malaysian goods to Kazakhstan and RM8.9 million (USD1.9 million) worth of imports from Kazakhstan.
In Uzbekistan, the Prime Minister is scheduled to meet President Shavkat Mirziyoyev for a bilateral meeting and explore potential areas of cooperation.
He will then visit the Imam Hazrati Complex, where the original manuscript of the Caliph Usman Quran (Mashaf Uthmani) - the oldest in the world - is kept and displayed.
From Tashkent, the Prime Minister will travel to Samarkand on May 18 , where he is expected to address the High-Level Uzbekistan-Malaysian Business Forum held at the Silk Road Samarkand Tourism Complex.
The forum, hosted by Uzbekistan, will also be attended by Prime Minister Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov.
Last year, Malaysia-Uzbekistan's total trade stood at RM451.1 million (USD94.03 million), with exports to Uzbekistan amounting to RM449 million (USD93.6 million) and imports amounting to RM1.99 million (USD414,518).