Political Dialogue on the topic:“Turkmen–Malaysian Cooperation - A Guarantee of Genuine and Responsible Development”

On 19 June 2026, bilateral talks between the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, and the Prime Minister of friendly Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, who arrived in the country on a visit, clearly demonstrated the importance of cooperation between the two states. The Head of State noted that the first visit of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to Turkmenistan, taking place during the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of mutually beneficial relations between the two countries, is regarded as an important event in the history of both states. He also expressed his firm confidence that this visit will give new impetus to the further strengthening of Turkmen–Malaysian relations.

The oil and gas industry is a strategic area of Turkmen–Malaysian cooperation. The company PETRONAS has become one of the first close partners of our country. The President noted that in the near future, with the participation of PETRONAS, large-scale work will begin in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea on the development of new hydrocarbon fields, as well as on geological exploration of promising oil and gas structures in the Caspian region. Indeed, the vast potential of cooperation between Turkmenistan and Malaysia opens broad opportunities for contributing to global development.

On 19 June 2026, in the capital, with the participation of the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, and the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, the International Scientific and Practical Conference “30 Years of Mutually Beneficial Cooperation between Turkmenistan and Malaysia in the Oil and Gas Sector” was held, along with an exhibition dedicated to Turkmen–Malaysian cooperation. Speaking at the conference, the Head of State emphasized the important role of PETRONAS in the development of Turkmen–Malaysian cooperation in the oil and gas sector. He noted that over the years of its operation in our country, the company has invested approximately 12 billion US dollars in Turkmenistan’s oil and gas industry. Over the years of independence, our country, through cooperation with well-known companies from Malaysia and other states, has become a powerful energy power.

The Prime Minister of Malaysia, speaking about the contribution of PETRONAS to the development of our country’s oil and gas industry over the past 30 years, stated: “This success is based primarily on a strong foundation - the training of highly qualified specialists. The exchange of experience and human resource development are of vital importance for both states. Today, Turkmenistan and PETRONAS are demonstrating to the world a remarkable example of genuine, reliable, and long-term cooperation.” He also sincerely emphasized that the poetic lines of Magtymguly Fragi: “When hearts and souls unite, At a common gathering earth and stones will melt,” most accurately reveal the profound meaning of the present meeting.

        As noted in the speeches, in order to achieve these goals, five offshore platforms were constructed and around forty exploration, appraisal, and production wells were drilled. As a result of the work carried out, significant hydrocarbon reserves have been discovered. At present, development is underway at fields such as Magtymguly, Diyarbekir, and Garagol Deniz. In the near future, industrial development is planned for the Ovez and Mashrykov fields.

During the period of joint operations in the Caspian Sea, more than 44 billion cubic meters of natural gas and 16 million tons of liquid hydrocarbons were produced, marking one of the significant achievements of PETRONAS and its Turkmen partners.

        The Head of State and the Prime Minister of Malaysia jointly visited an exhibition dedicated to Turkmen–Malaysian cooperation and toured a pavilion marking the 30th anniversary of cooperation between Turkmenistan and PETRONAS. The pavilion presented in detail the key results of the partnership, the introduction of advanced technologies into production, as well as the progress of long-term projects in the field of deep hydrocarbon processing. Particular emphasis was placed on the company’s role in the modernization of Turkmenistan’s fuel and energy complex. Both sides highly appreciated the company’s contribution to the development of the sector and stressed that the accumulated experience serves as a solid foundation for further expansion of industrial cooperation.

Yagshygeldi Kakayev International Oil and Gas University