ILMIY AXBOROTNOMA TARIX 2017-yil, 4-son 23
Furthermore, the state development programs also resemble: the strategic program of Uzbekistan is
similar to Malaysia’s strategic program “Perspective-2020” in many ways.
For Uzbekistan it is of great significance to cooperate with Malaysia which is considered to be
the leading state in ASEAN[4]. Especially, Uzbekistan is interested in the attraction of investments
from the region of South-East Asia in order to implement high technology in the country and to supply
Uzbek goods to the markets of South East Asia. Therefore, regarding the issues of growing
international terrorism and religious extremism it is of great importance to cooperate within OIC[5].
In
the geopolitical aspect Uzbekistan is in the centre of Asia and it has a multilateral policy. For
Uzbekistan cooperating with such a prestigious country as Malaysia is considered to be one of the
main factors which influence the stability in the region. In addition, the cooperation with Muslim
countries leads to prospective future. It must be noted that in 2007 the initiative of UNESCO on
choosing Tashkent as the cultural capital of Islam was wholly supported by Malaysia. Both
Uzbekistan and Malaysia have supported each other’s initiatives on the world arena. For instance,
Uzbekistan has always supported the candidacy of Malaysia in the structures of the UN, particularly,
in 1997 in ECOSOS, in 1998 its temporary membership in Security Council, in 1997, in 2001 and in
2005 in international tribunal on Yugoslavia, in 2003 in international tribunal on Ruanda, in 2004 in
the Committee of eradicating all kinds of female discrimination, in 2008 the candidacy of Malaysia for
chairmanship in the Committee of Kodeks Alimentarius[6]. In 2007 Uzbekistan also supported
Malaysia’s membership in the Executive council of International civil aviation. Malaysia has been
supporting the initiatives of Uzbekistan on transforming Central Asia into a nuclear-free zone, on
forming a Common market in Central Asia. Also, Malaysia was in favour of Uzbekistan’s
participation in the Dialogue on Asian cooperation in 2006[7]. Furthermore, Malaysia as well as
other OIC countries
supported Uzbekistan’s position when the 61-session, confidential process No
1503 of UN Committee on human rights took place in 2005 (the session was devoted to the situation
regarding the issue of human rights in Uzbekistan)[8].
Frequent mutual high-level visits demonstrate that both of the states are interested in mutual
cooperation. In 1992 the president of Uzbekistan I.A.Karimov visited Malaysia, and in 1993 the
prime-minister of Malaysia M.Mukhammad visited Uzbekistan. In 2003 there was paid a visit to
Uzbekistan by the king of Malaysia Tuank Said Sirojiddin Said Jamalullayla. In 2005 the president of
Uzbekistan I.A.Karimov paid one more state visit to Malaysia. In 1997 between two states there were
signed important agreements, particularly, intergovernmental treaties on increasing investments and on
mutual avoidance of taxations. On the base of the Treaty on trade there was set a prosperous
favourable course. These signed agreements ld to the creation of joint projects between two sides, for
example, regarding investments there were worked out joint projects with Malaysian corporation
“Petronas”. Together representatives of two states have been doing geological research in the Aral
coastal zone, in Ustyurt plateau and in Surkhandarya and they have discovered new mines as well. In
addition, they are developing a technical-economic base of the project on building a plant which
would produce synthetic liquefied fuel from methane. According to the international information
agency “United Press International” (the USA) “Petronas” is considered to be a source of some more
flows of foreign currency and to be a good ground for the increasing levels of Uzbekistan’s gas
produce and its export.
In order to develop the cooperation in the sphere of transportation links Uzbekistan has offered
its service in the international logistics centre which was set up on the base of Navoi international
airport. Such cooperation gives Malaysia a chance to enter the markets of Central Asia. And this, in its
turn, means that Uzbekistan is considered to be a bridge in the cooperation with the countries of
South-East Asia.
Uzbekistan is one of the main trade partners of Malaysia in Central Asia. According to the data
of Uzbekistan’s Committee of state statistics turnover made up $76,3 million in 2012 [9]. In 2013 this
index went up to $78 million[10]. Nowadays Uzbekistan holds the 3rd place in the list of CIS
countries with whom Malaysia has bilateral and investment relations.
Historical and cultural commonality, as well as the fact that Uzbekistan and Malaysia’s tourism
infrastructures are developed can be considered as the main factor which strengthens bilateral
cooperation in the sphere of tourism.
