Energising bilateral ties
AFTER meeting with President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on Monday in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, and jointly launching the Petronas gas refinery in Kiyanli on Tuesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak flew to London to begin his four-day visit to the United Kingdom. By most measures, his first state visit to the UK would appear to be more significant than his first official trip to Turkmenistan. Given the historical ties with the UK, indeed, this would seem to be the case. Few Malaysian diplomats can claim to know Turkmenistan like they do Britain. Fewer Malaysians know where Turkmenistan is. Indeed, the fact that the Malaysian embassy in Ankara, Turkey, has been handling Malaysian interests in Turkmenistan has only added to the confusion about its location.
To be sure, diplomatic relations are less than 20 years old, trade ties are thin and no airline flies direct from Kuala Lumpur to Ashgabat. Certainly, as with the other "Stan" countries in Central Asia that were part of the Soviet Union -- Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan -- the lack of history and the geographical barriers make Turkmenistan an unlikely candidate for a prime position in our foreign policy. Turkmenistan has some way to go before it can match Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, much less our traditional trade partners in the West, such as the UK and USA, or in Asia, such as China and Japan. Nevertheless, though bilateral trade is relatively small, it has been growing steadily and there is considerable scope for expansion. More importantly, Turkmenistan sits on top of some of the largest reserves of oil and gas.
Considering our advocacy of greater South-South cooperation, the prime minister's visit is thus significant as it created an opportunity for Malaysia and Turkmenistan to develop mutually rewarding political and socioeconomic partnerships. In any event, as the collapse of the Soviet Union some 20 years ago paved the way for the beginning of ties, we should build on the head-start in developing relations with the countries on the ancient Silk Road. For Petronas, which has invested more than RM15 billion in Turkmenistan since 1996 and is also involved in oil and gas exploration and production in Uzbekistan, there's little doubt that the gas field in the Caspian Sea will become a major asset, and Central Asia a new long-term growth region for its international business. While Petronas can lead the way, as it has a strong track record, our bilateral ties with Turkmenistan won't have to be just oil-fuelled. There are ample business opportunities and people-to-people exchanges waiting to be explored.
Considering our advocacy of greater South-South cooperation, the prime minister's visit is thus significant as it created an opportunity for Malaysia and Turkmenistan to develop mutually rewarding political and socioeconomic partnerships. In any event, as the collapse of the Soviet Union some 20 years ago paved the way for the beginning of ties, we should build on the head-start in developing relations with the countries on the ancient Silk Road. For Petronas, which has invested more than RM15 billion in Turkmenistan since 1996 and is also involved in oil and gas exploration and production in Uzbekistan, there's little doubt that the gas field in the Caspian Sea will become a major asset, and Central Asia a new long-term growth region for its international business. While Petronas can lead the way, as it has a strong track record, our bilateral ties with Turkmenistan won't have to be just oil-fuelled. There are ample business opportunities and people-to-people exchanges waiting to be explored.
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