Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov’s first visit to Malaysia in 30 years sealed a raft of deals on energy, halal industry and tourism. Both nations say the trip launches a “strategic partnership” to match their fast-growing economies.
Zhaparov’s journey to Kuala Lumpur, the first by a Kyrgyz leader since the 1990s, followed Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s 2024 stop in Bishkek and produced a joint statement on forging a strategic partnership. Trade has already surged six-fold to $9.4 million in early 2025, led by Kyrgyz gold exports, and fresh agreements cover tourism, healthcare, digital tech and youth policy.
Bishkek invited Malaysian capital and know-how for its flagship Kambar-Ata-1 hydropower project and dozens of small HPPs, while Kuala Lumpur will work with Kyrgyz agencies to build halal parks and expand food exports. Lawmakers pledged closer inter-parliamentary ties, and business leaders signed MOUs spanning a halal meat park, gold sales and clean-energy ventures.
Both sides now focus on turning the paperwork into projects, with Zhaparov inviting Anwar to Kyrgyzstan for a follow-up visit.
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