On January 21-23 of this year, as part of his stay in Kuala Lumpur to participate in a round table on the topic: “From Dialogue to Action: Uzbekistan and Malaysia on the Path to Strategic Cooperation”, ISRS Director Eldor Aripov held meetings with representatives of the Parliament and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia.

During the conversation with the Chairman of the Committee on International Relations and International Trade of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Malaysia, Tuan Wong Chen, attention was focused on the prospects for the development of Uzbek-Malaysian relations, in particular inter-parliamentary cooperation.

It was emphasized that in recent years, there has been a steady dynamic in the development of contacts between the legislative bodies of Uzbekistan and Malaysia. The "Friendship Group" operates in the parliaments of the two countries. Mutual high-level visits are regularly carried out.

In particular, in June 2024, the Deputy President of the Senate of the Malaysian Parliament Nur Jazlan Mohamad visited Uzbekistan, and in July of the same year, the Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Parliament of Uzbekistan Nuriddin Ismailov visited Malaysia.

The need for further expansion of inter-parliamentary cooperation, exchange of experience in the legislative sphere, and introduction of the practice of joint meetings of specialized committees on priority areas of bilateral cooperation was emphasized.

During the talks with the Special Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia to Afghanistan, Dato Ahmad Azam, the current situation in Afghanistan and regional security issues were discussed.

The Malaysian side was informed about Uzbekistan's approaches to promoting peaceful and sustainable development in Afghanistan. As Eldor Aripov noted, the socio-economic recovery of Afghanistan and its integration into interregional trade relations are an important factor in ensuring regional security in Central and South Asia.

In turn, Dato Ahmad Azam highly appreciated the efforts and initiatives of Uzbekistan in the Afghan direction, noting that the approaches of Tashkent and Kuala Lumpur largely coincide.

Following the meeting, mutual interest in implementing joint educational programs for Afghan citizens was emphasized.

A meeting was also held with the Director General of the Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, Dato Ganeson Sivagurunathan.

During the conversation, an exchange of views took place on current issues in the fight against international terrorism, including in the context of increasing the effectiveness of countering the propaganda of violent extremism on the Internet, conducting targeted educational events for the younger generation, and implementing reintegration and rehabilitation measures.

The parties emphasized that only consolidation of efforts will allow them to effectively counter modern threats and challenges.