PUTRAJAYA: Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar (pic) will undertake working visits to Uzbekistan from May 19 to 21 and Kazakhstan from May 22 to 25.

       The Foreign Ministry, in a statement Wednesday (May 18), said in Uzbekistan, Kamarudin is scheduled to meet the country's Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, Acting Foreign Minister as well as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

       In Kazakhstan, he is scheduled to meet the Deputy Prime Minister, who is also Trade and Integration Minister, and the Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs and Defence.

       Wisma Putra said the visits will focus on strengthening further the existing mutually beneficial collaboration between Malaysia and the two countries as well as exploring new strategic areas in trade and investment, education, culture, tourism, technical cooperation assistance and health cooperation.

       "It will also provide an opportunity for Malaysia to exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual concern," the statement read.

       The year 2022 also marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and the two nations.

       According to Wisma Putra, for the period January to October 2021, Kazakhstan was Malaysia’s largest trading partner in Central Asia with the total trade at RM359.79mil while Uzbekistan was the second largest trading partner with the total trade amount of RM187.82mil for the corresponding period. - Bernama