KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 – Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof will visit Uzbekistan and Russia beginning this Friday to enhance bilateral economic relations, as well as explore tie-ups in the energy and high technology sectors.
The visit from June 20-28, which marks his first official engagement with both countries as deputy prime minister, includes meetings with high level government leaders. There will be bilateral discussions with leaders from Uzbekistan and Russia, as well as site visits to strategic facilities, including energy infrastructure and innovation hubs.
Fadillah’s visit to Uzbekistan aims to build on the solid foundations laid during Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s visit to Malaysia earlier this year.
In Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent, Fadillah, who is also minister of energy transition and water transformation, is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Mirziyoyev and hold a bilateral meeting with Energy Minister Jurabek Mirzamahmudov, as part of Malaysia’s effort to enhance cooperation in the energy sector.
According to the programme schedule released by the Ministry of Energy, Transition and Water Transformation (Petra), Fadillah will also deliver the keynote address at the Malaysia-Uzbekistan Business Forum 2025, a flagship platform to connect Malaysian and Uzbek businesses.
Malaysia-Uzbekistan trade reached RM369.8 million (US$80.9 million) in 2024, positioning Uzbekistan as Malaysia’s second largest trading partner in Central Asia. The trade balance is in Malaysia’s favour at RM360.3 million (US$78.9 million), according to news reports.
Major exports from Malaysia to Uzbekistan include palm oil, coffee, palm-based oleochemicals, margarine and shortening, processed food and coconut oil, while imports from Uzbekistan comprise mainly fertilisers, fruits and textiles. Last year, Uzbekistan remained Malaysia’s second-largest trading partner among Central Asian countries.
During his visit to Russia beginning June 24, he will hold a bilateral meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, and a key highlight of the visit will be the exchange of a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) between MyPower Corp and Russia’s state nuclear corporation, Rosatom.
Fadillah is also scheduled to visit Rosatom’s nuclear energy facilities in St Petersburg, as Malaysia continues to assess the potential of nuclear energy as part of its long-term energy transition plan towards net-zero emissions by 2050.
The visit resonates with Malaysia’s evolving energy diplomacy. Notably, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s state visit to Russia in May led to commitments from Russian President Vladimir Putin to pursue joint ventures in natural gas and peaceful nuclear energy, including deepening Petronas’s involvement in Russia.
Diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Russia were established in 1967.
In 2024, Russia was Malaysia’s ninth-largest trading partner among European countries, with total trade reaching RM11.46 billion (US$2.48 billion). Malaysia’s key exports to Russia included electrical and electronics products, machinery, equipment and parts, and processed foods.
