PUTRAJAYA, Uzbekistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bakhtiyor Saidov, will undertake an official visit to Malaysia on Tuesday as a follow-up to discussions held during Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's visit to the country in May. According to a statement by the Foreign Ministry (Wisma Putra) on Monday, Saidov will pay a courtesy call on Anwar during his visit. He will also meet with his counterpart, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, to discuss bilateral matters, exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, strengthen existing bilateral ties and explore new areas of cooperation, particularly in trade, investment, energy, tourism and the halal industry. While in Malaysia, the Uzbekistan delegation will hold a meeting with Petronas to discuss potential cooperation in the oil and gas sector, as well as the chemical industry in Uzbekistan, the statement added. Malaysia and Uzbekistan have strengthened their relations with renewed vigour this year, with exchanges of visits and the holding of a joint business event in Samarkand in May. Uzbekistan is currently Malaysia's second-biggest trade partner among Central Asian countries, with total trade in 2023 amounting to RM451.1 million (US$94.03 million). Source: BERNAMA News Agency