Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has left for Turkmenistan for a two-day visit on the invitation of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

The aircraft carrying Najib and wife Rosmah Mansor took off from the Bunga Raya complex of KL International Airport at 8.30am.

Present to see him off were Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, Deputy Home Minister Abu Seman Yusop, Negri Sembilan

Menteri Besar Mohamad Hasan and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Ahmad Maslan.

This is Najib's first visit to the Central Asian country since becoming the prime minister on April 3, 2009.

Najib is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Berdimuhamedov in capital city of Ashgabat.

Najib and Berdimuhamedov would jointly open the Petronas gas terminal in Kiyanli, Turkmenbasy, about 600km from Ashgabat.

In a statement, Wisma Putra said Petronas' involvement in the country's oil and gas sector was an important component in the Kuala Lumpur-Ashgabat cooperation.

The visit is expected to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fields of oil and gas, trade, finance, investment and human capital development, the statement added.

This is also in line with Malaysia's initiative to encourage dialogue with Central Asian countries, it said.

- Bernama