KUALA LUMPUR, June 20. /Dunyo IA/. Ambassador of Uzbekistan Karomidin Gadoev took part in the official opening ceremony of the inland port logistics center in the Padang Besar area of Perlis state, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

The Perlis Inland Port, located near the Malaysia–Thailand border, was established within the Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Free Commercial Zone. Speaking at the ceremony, the Sultan of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail, described the launch of the major project as a strategic step aimed at transforming Malaysia into a regional gateway for trade and logistics.

Minister of Transport of Malaysia Loke Siew Fook described the facility as a key overland trade gateway linking the ASEAN region with the Middle East and Eurasia, highlighting its potential to provide direct access to the markets of Central Asia and Europe via Malaysia’s double-track railway network.

According to the Group Executive Chairman of the project operator company “Mutiara Perlis”, Dato’ Shabaruddin Ibrahim, the new logistics center will serve as an important transit hub in expanding trade and economic ties between Uzbekistan, Malaysia, and Southeast Asian countries.

The inland port is an integral part of the Trans-Asian railway corridor network connecting Central Asia with the ASEAN region. Through this route, Uzbek products are expected to reach Southeast Asian markets 30–40 percent faster and at lower cost compared to traditional maritime transport.

The company also expressed readiness to establish a dedicated container terminal at the port to handle bilateral cargo flows between Uzbekistan and Malaysia.

The Perlis Inland Port covers a total area of 202.3 hectares, with an investment volume of $250 million. In the first phase, its capacity is 600,000 TEU per year, with plans to increase it to 2 million containers in the coming years.

The large-scale public–private partnership logistics hub is expected to strengthen the position of Uzbek products in the Southeast Asian market.