Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stressed that his country and Turkey have great potential in the fields of economics and trade, and that it is possible to expand the consuming markets for the products of the two countries, and to cooperate with the countries of the Southeast Asian Association (ASEAN).
This came in a speech during his participation, today, Tuesday, at the Turkish Malaysian Business Forum in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Ibrahim explained that the volume of trade between Malaysia and Turkey increased by 18.9% in one year to reach 5.1 billion dollars, pointing out that if the annual increase continues at a rate of 20%, the goal of 10 billion dollars can be achieved within five years.
He stressed that reaching the goal of $ 10 billion in trade exchange must be achieved soon, thanks to the ongoing efforts and the determination of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on this.
He continued: “There are tremendous possibilities in Malaysia and Turkey. Your strength lies in the fields of defense, tourism and food technology, while our strength lies in influencing the markets of the Asyan and Asia region. I think we need to cooperate well.”
He pointed out that the relations between the two countries have been going on for many years, but the available capabilities have not been completely exploited, stressing that the vision and common ideas will not be sufficient unless development is supported.
He also explained that the small and medium -sized companies in Malaysia constitute a basic base for cooperation in the oil sector, noting the need to support this cooperation through the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Council and the National Chamber of Trade and Industry in Malaysia.
Innovation and creativity
Ibrahim pointed out that the Turkish Malaysian Business Forum is seen as a platform to enhance innovation and creativity.
He pointed out that the ASEAN Association is “one of the most peaceful areas in the world, and one of the fastest growing economies.”
He stated that cooperation between the leaders of the ASEAN countries is based on confidence and friendship, which is unparalleled compared to other countries.
Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alp Arslan Bayrakdar confirmed that Türkiye and Malaysia will work to enhance their cooperation in the field of oil and natural gas.
Bayrakdar said in a post on the X platform, on Tuesday, that Türkiye and Malaysia are determined to develop their cooperation in the fields of energy and mining, especially oil and natural gas.
He stated that Türkiye and Malaysia have a common history and a strong friendship and that they will work to strengthen this friendship through cooperation in many fields.
On Tuesday, the two countries signed 11 agreements and a memorandum of understanding in several fields, in the presence of President Erdogan and Malaysian Prime Minister Ibrahim.
The agreements included the fields of energy, trade, defense industries, communications systems, scientific and technological research, disaster and emergency management.
