PUTRAJAYA, April 3 — Malaysia and Turkmenistan have agreed to explore more market opportunities for local agricultural products and boost bilateral trade for mutual benefit.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) said that the discussion took place during a courtesy call by Turkmenistan’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Muhammetnyyaz Mashalov, on Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu recently.

“This inaugural meeting provided an opportunity for both parties to explore potential cooperation in the agriculture and food security sectors, as well as to strengthen existing trade relations,” the ministry said in a statement today.

Key areas of discussion included strategic cooperation in agricultural water resource management, as well as research and development (R&D) through collaboration between agricultural institutions.

The meeting also discussed the comprehensive modernisation of the agriculture sector to address the impacts of climate change, as well as proactive measures to strengthen the global food security agenda.

During the meeting, Mohamad also invited Turkmenistan to participate in the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism (Maha) 2026 exhibition, themed ‘Penciptaan Nilai Demi Keterjaminan Makanan‘ (Value Creation for Food Security), which will take place from Aug 28 to Sept 6 at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS).

The ministry’s senior officials were also present during the meeting.

Agricultural trade between Malaysia and Turkmenistan as of December 2025 was valued at RM58.74 million, comprising Malaysian agricultural exports such as coffee, cocoa, tea and spices. — Bernama