Among the countries of Southeast Asia with which Turkmenistan maintains stable and pragmatic relations, Malaysia holds a special place. There are solid reasons and long-standing foundations for this.
Malaysia was in fact one of the first countries in the region to recognize Turkmenistan’s independence and establish diplomatic relations with it. It was also Malaysia that the President of Turkmenistan paid one of his first East Asian visits in 1994. In the same year, the Prime Minister of Malaysia paid a visit to Turkmenistan. The author of these lines, who attended the concluding press conference in Ashgabat, vividly remembers the respect, interest and genuine admiration with which the Malaysian leader spoke about Turkmenistan, its history and rich and distinctive culture. He emphasized that the traditions, core values and spiritual foundations of the Turkmen people were close and familiar to Malaysians, creating a solid basis for the two countries and peoples to build long-term friendly and mutually beneficial relations.
Fortunately, the seeds planted more than thirty years ago have yielded strong results, and today relations between Turkmenistan and Malaysia represent a broad and durable foundation of cooperation across all major areas. A solid international legal framework for partnership has been created. Bilateral cooperation at the political level has strengthened and expanded, while mechanisms of interaction within multilateral organizations and associations have been successfully established.
Turkmenistan and Malaysia have succeeded in building relations that are equitable, mutually beneficial and effective in the trade and economic sphere. Cultural and humanitarian contacts have likewise developed steadily over the years. To date, nine reciprocal visits at the highest level have taken place. Each of them produced tangible outcomes, providing fresh impetus and momentum for cooperation across a broad range of areas.
Reciprocal visits have become a regular feature of bilateral relations in recent years. In December 2024, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov paid an official visit to Malaysia, during which issues relating to bilateral relations and the international agenda were discussed, and a number of important agreements were reached.
As members of both delegations acknowledged, the current visit by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to Turkmenistan aimed to take further significant steps toward expanding and qualitatively enriching the Turkmen–Malaysian dialogue. The visit sought to make full use of the considerable potential for cooperation between the two countries for the benefit of their peoples and states, their continued development and prosperity, as well as to contribute to the preservation of international and regional stability, improvement of the global climate of relations, strengthening of security and creation of conditions for cooperation based on trust and mutual respect.
Speaking during his meeting with Anwar Ibrahim about the distinctive nature of the Turkmen–Malaysian political dialogue, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov emphasized that it has always been characterized by deep mutual respect, sincerity, trust and goodwill.
Turkmenistan has always regarded Malaysia as a trusted friend, reliable partner and like minded country in its approach to many issues of regional and international politics. On the international stage, the two countries share common values and principles, including equality, mutual respect, non interference in internal affairs, the right to sovereign and independent development and freedom to choose their own model of state and social organization.
It should be noted that these principles are not merely declarative but translated into practical policy. A few examples will suffice. Malaysia has consistently supported Turkmenistan on the international stage, including its initiatives and proposals, and it also played an active role in the preparation of draft United Nations General Assembly resolutions on the Permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan, adopted in 1995, 2015 and 2025.
Most recently, Malaysia supported the United Nations General Assembly resolution entitled “The Role and Importance of the Policy of Neutrality in Maintaining and Strengthening International Peace, Security and Sustainable Development” adopted on 20 May this year at the initiative of Turkmenistan.
Malaysia has also consistently acted as a co-sponsor of United Nations resolutions advanced by Turkmenistan on energy security and international transport cooperation.
For its part, Turkmenistan remains firmly committed to strengthening cooperation with Malaysia within the framework of the United Nations. Ashgabat and Kuala Lumpur continue to demonstrate mutual support in practice and actively work together on the development of documents and initiatives of importance to both countries. In this context, cooperation with Malaysia as a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and one of its most respected members is of particular significance.
There is a clear convergence in the approaches of Turkmenistan and Malaysia to such an important and sensitive issue as safeguarding the legitimate interests of developing countries and providing them with genuine opportunities and mechanisms for participation in global decision making. In this context, Serdar Berdimuhamedov reaffirmed his support for Malaysia’s initiative aimed at strengthening the voice of the Global South and promoting a culture of dialogue. These proposals are fully consistent with the philosophy of Turkmenistan’s foreign policy and with such fundamental initiatives as “Dialogue is a Guarantee of Peace,” “Peace through Development,” and the revival of a culture of dialogue and mutual respect.
The oil and gas sector has traditionally been a strategic pillar of economic cooperation between the two countries. On the Malaysian side, the leading role in this area is played by Petronas.
Speaking at the international scientific and practical conference entitled “Turkmenistan and Malaysia: 30 Years of Mutually Beneficial Cooperation in the Oil and Gas Industry,” coinciding with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s visit, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted that Petronas enjoys a high degree of respect and trust among its Turkmen partners. He emphasized the company’s significant contribution to the development of the national economy and modernization of the country’s fuel and energy sector and expressed his appreciation to the company’s management and employees working in Turkmenistan for their professionalism and dedication in implementing joint projects and programmes.
The following figures provide a clear illustration of this cooperation. With the support of Malaysian partners, Turkmenistan has achieved sustained growth in hydrocarbon production at its oil and gas fields. To this end, five offshore platforms have been constructed in the Caspian Sea, and around forty exploration and development wells have been drilled.
As a result of this large-scale work, substantial hydrocarbon reserves have been discovered. Development of “Magtymguly”, “Diyarbekir” and “Garagol Deniz” fields is currently underway, while industrial development of “Owez” and “Masrykow” fields is also planned for the near future.
The extraction of over 44 billion cubic metres of natural gas and 16 million tonnes of liquid hydrocarbons has been one of the most significant achievements of Petronas and its Turkmen partners during their years of cooperation in the Caspian Sea.
Thanks to close cooperation with Malaysian partners, a gas processing plant, an onshore gas terminal and a marine construction assembly yard have been built on Turkmenistan’s Caspian coast.
The momentum of this cooperation is set to grow further through the launch of joint development activities at Offshore Blocks 19 and 20 in Turkmenistan’s sector of the Caspian Sea with the participation of Petronas, as well as the planned 2D seismic surveys at Offshore Blocks 11, 12, 13 and 14.
Thus, Anwar Ibrahim’s visit to Ashgabat not only reinforced the established traditions of partnership but also ensured their continuity and dynamic development in the oil and gas sector for decades to come.
The talks also highlighted significant potential for expanding cooperation in such areas as high technologies, the financial and banking sector, the textile industry, transport and communications, agriculture, water management and urban development.
The humanitarian sphere is undoubtedly another key pillar of Turkmen-Malaysian relations, where favourable conditions exist for further deepening productive contacts in science, education, culture and the arts.
There is already a successful track record of cooperation in education and training of qualified professionals. It is significant that Serdar Berdimuhamedov emphasized the importance of establishing direct contacts between the academic institutions of the two countries and promoting scientific and academic exchanges. Tourism was also identified as one of the promising areas for future cooperation, given the considerable mutual potential.
As noted above, Malaysia occupies a special place among Turkmenistan’s foreign-policy priorities. It is important to emphasize that, beyond political, diplomatic, economic and humanitarian ties, a convergence of values and perspectives is becoming increasingly valuable.
Turkmenistan and Malaysia are countries whose social foundations and philosophies of nation-building share many common features. They are rooted in strong national traditions, cultural identity and deep respect for their history, culture and religion. These principles, which were already being discussed in 1994, have neither lost their relevance nor been eroded by the highly pragmatic and often morally ambiguous trends of contemporary international politics. On the contrary, in Turkmen–Malaysian relations they have become one of the foundations for the development of sincere and warm ties between the leaders of the two countries, have helped ensure that interstate relations retain a genuinely friendly and respectful character, and have significantly contributed to the success of mutually beneficial economic cooperation.
That is why both Ashgabat and Kuala Lumpur speak of bilateral cooperation in terms of decades rather than years. Their joint plans are shaped with precisely this long-term perspective and shared understanding of fundamental priorities in mind.