KUALA LUMPUR, February 4. /Dunyo IA/.  Malaysia’s leading news agency, “Bernama”, has published an article highlighting Uzbekistan’s Syrdarya Region as a strategic gateway for Malaysian investors and businesses seeking access to the markets of Central Asia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

The article emphasizes that a favorable investment ecosystem has been established in the region. In particular, citing Syrdarya Region Governor Erkinjon Turdimov, it notes that a key element of this environment is the Syrdarya Free Economic Zone, covering approximately 2,000 hectares.

It reports that Malaysian companies operating within the Free Economic Zone benefit from extensive tax and customs incentives, including exemptions from corporate, property and land taxes for periods ranging from three to ten years. The article also highlights that products manufactured in Uzbekistan are exported to CIS countries under nearly free-trade conditions.

The article further notes that under the GSP+ system, Uzbekistan is able to export more than 6,000 types of goods to the European Union duty-free. These advantages were highlighted during the Uzbek - Malaysian forum “Do Business in Syrdarya”, held against the backdrop of active high-level bilateral contacts between the two countries.

Citing Uzbekistan’s Ambassador Karomidin Gadoev, the piece refers to Syrdarya Region as “Mini-Malaysia” underlining the active involvement of Malaysian specialists and companies, particularly in the field of information technology. It stresses that the region is among the youngest and most dynamically developing areas in the country.

The article also reports that, according to the Malaysian side, bilateral trade is experiencing a “golden period”: in 2025, trade turnover between Malaysia and Uzbekistan grew by 16.3%, reaching USD 109.9 million. The forum concluded with a series of “B2B” meetings aimed at deepening cooperation in trade, logistics, tourism and education.