ON THE PREPARATION OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION PERSONNEL A NEW STAGE OF COOPERATION

ON THE PREPARATION OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION PERSONNEL A NEW STAGE OF COOPERATION

The process of globalization has increased interdependence between countries. The development of a country is now dependent on diplomatic relations and international cooperation, among other factors. Therefore, Goal 92 of the “Uzbekistan – 2030” strategy sets the task of “developing mutually beneficial relations with traditional partners and expanding the geography of international cooperation.” One of Uzbekistan’s reliable partner countries is Malaysia.

Malaysia was one of the first countries to recognize Uzbekistan’s independence in 1992. It has been 33 years since diplomatic relations between the two countries were established. Although the distance between Tashkent and Kuala Lumpur is over 5,000 km, this geographical distance has not hindered the mutually beneficial cooperation between Uzbekistan and Malaysia. The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Sh. Mirziyoyev, assesses the potential of this country as follows: “Malaysia is a rapidly developing country, not only in Southeast Asia but in the world as a whole. It is our reliable partner, tested by time. It is also symbolic that the Day of National Independence is celebrated in both countries on the same day – August 31.”

In fact, Malaysia ranks 12th in the World Bank’s Doing Business report, after Norway, Sweden, and Lithuania. The country’s government is among the top 20 most innovative governments in the world. Shared religion, Eastern values, and common customs serve as the spiritual foundation that brings the peoples of Uzbekistan and Malaysia closer. There are even similarities in the strategic documents of the two countries: the “Uzbekistan-2030” strategy and “Malaysia Madani” strategy, both oriented towards rapid development and modernization.

From May 17-19, 2024, a new chapter in Uzbek-Malaysian relations was opened. At the invitation of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, visited Uzbekistan on an official visit. This high-level visit, the first in 16 years, raised bilateral relations to a new level. The number of issues on the agenda of the visit increased. The talks covered the development of political dialogue between the two countries, strengthening inter-parliamentary ties, expanding trade and investment partnerships, cooperation in innovation, industry, green energy, petrochemicals, electrical engineering, electronics, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, as well as cultural and humanitarian exchange. Attention was also given to expanding cooperation in the implementation of educational programs and activating tourism and cultural exchanges.

It is clear that there are great opportunities for cooperation between Malaysia and Uzbekistan. One of these areas of cooperation is the development of the public service system. A practical action plan has been developed to implement the agreements reached during the official visit of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to the Republic of Uzbekistan. In item 28 of this plan, the task is to accelerate relations within the framework of the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Program (MTCP).

The Malaysian Technical Cooperation Program was established in 1980 to promote cooperation between Malaysia and other countries. Under this program, Malaysia’s advanced experience in development will be shared, and opportunities for education and consultations in areas important for the development of countries will be created. The main principle of the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Program is: “The development of a country depends on the quality of its human capital and human resources.” Therefore, the MTCP program places particular emphasis on human resource development through education. Representatives of Uzbekistan’s ministries and organizations have participated in short-term training courses organized within the framework of this program.

To accelerate relations within the framework of the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Program (MTCP), the Agency for Public Service Development has compiled a list of relevant training areas for Uzbekistan. In doing so, the programs offered by Malaysian universities in various fields were analyzed, and proposals were made. Specifically, it was reported that in 2025, there is a need to train Uzbek civil servants in areas such as energy, Islamic finance, the halal industry, ecology, tourism, creative economy, public administration, and human resource management. This approach allows for the targeted organization of internship and training programs in Malaysia for Uzbek civil servants and provides an opportunity for quality education.

In addition, cooperation is underway with the Agency and the Department of Public Service (DPS) under the Prime Minister of Malaysia. To this end, the Agency prepared a draft Declaration of Cooperation between the two organizations and presented it to the Malaysian side. The signing of this document will serve as a basis for mutual exchange of experience, studying successful practices, mutual visits, and joint scientific and practical activities between the competent authorities of the two countries in the reform and development of public service.

It should be noted that Uzbekistan also has experience and mechanisms that could be useful for Malaysia. For example, digital systems implemented in Uzbekistan’s public civil service. Together with the Ministry of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan, electronic human resource management systems in the public civil service (hrm.argos.uz), systems for evaluating the effectiveness of civil servants (samaradorlik.uz), and mobile applications (myargos.uz) have been developed. These digital products save administrative and financial resources.

It is worth noting that in June 2025, the UN Public Service Forum is planned to be held in Samarkand. The participation of representatives of the Department of Public Service of Malaysia in this international forum will further enhance the level of this conference, inform the Malaysian side about reforms and achievements in public service development, human resource management, and digitalization in Uzbekistan, and accelerate the prospects for future cooperation. In general, we are confident that the strong relations between the Agency for Public Service Development under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Department of Public Service under the Prime Minister of Malaysia will give new meaning to the friendly, comprehensive, and mutually beneficial cooperation between Uzbekistan and Malaysia.

Komil Eshpulatov,
Head of the Department at the Agency for Public Service Development
under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan,
Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD)