International Business Review spoke with H.E. Karomidin Gadoev, the Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Malaysia, on his mission to strengthen the ties between his homeland and Malaysia, by drawing on mutual interests and similarities.
According to Ambassador Gadoev, Malaysia and Uzbekistan share the same values such as tolerance and harmony. Just as Malaysia has different cultures and ethnic groups living together in peace, Uzbekistan is home to 130 different ethnicities. Thus he feels that “Malaysian society is very similar to Uzbekistan.”
He is determined to play his part in strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries. Both countries are already each other’s largest trading partners in their respective regions – Malaysia in Southeast Asia and Uzbekistan in Central Asia. THe Ambassador sees great opportunities in Uzbekistan for Malaysian industries, particularly with regards to agriculture and food processing, chemicals, energy, healthcare and tourism.
“From 2018 to 2023, trade turnover more than doubled from US$78.2 million to US$190 million. In addition, there are currently 33 companies with Malaysian investments in Uzbekistan, mainly in the oil, petrochemicals and chemicals industries, and education, as well as in the manufacturing of building materials, food processing, and transport services.”
Ambassador Gadoev also believes that Uzbekistan can serve as a gateway for Malaysian industrial players and service providers to access the emerging markets of Central Asia, thanks to the country’s strategic location, developed transport infrastructure and existing Free Trade Agreements with the Commonwealth of Independent States.
He also expressed his hopes that Malaysian companies will play a role in the realisation of H.E. President Sahvkat Mirziyoyev’s Uzbekistan 2030 strategy. As such he invites them to tap into the unique benefits created by the Uzbekistan government for foreign investors in more than 20 special economic zones, and help bring about the Third Renaissance of Uzbekistan.
Despite being thousands of miles apart, Malaysia and Uzbekistan have much in common. So much so that when Malaysia’s Yang di-Pertuan Agong asked H.E. Karomidin Gadoev how he felt when presenting his credentials, the Ambassador replied, “Your Majesty, I feel like I am at home.”
