The leaders of Uzbekistan and Hungary have brought bilateral relations to the level of expanded strategic partnership

Negotiations between the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban took place at the Carmelita Palace in a narrow format and with the participation of officials delegations.

Issues of further deepening the Uzbek-Hungarian strategic partnership and multifaceted cooperation were considered.

The President of Uzbekistan sincerely thanked the leader of Hungary for the warm welcome provided to the Uzbek delegation in Budapest.

Noted with satisfaction progressive dynamics of development of practical interaction in all areas. Fruitful contacts have been established at the level of parliaments, governments, industry departments and regions. There is close interaction within the UN, the Organization of Turkic States and other international structures.

The volume of mutual trade is growing, cooperation between leading enterprises in various sectors of the economy is intensifying.

The importance of bringing the volume of trade turnover at the first stage to 500 million euros, including through the possibilities of import substitution and status, was noted “GSP+”.

For these purposes, laboratories will also be accredited in accordance with EU requirements, a program for pre-certification of goods and a joint platform for assistance to exporting companies will be launched.

It should be noted that the current portfolio of joint investment projects amounts to $500 million. New projects worth another 1.5 billion euros have been prepared for the current visit.

It was emphasized that the entry of the Hungarian OTP bank into the financial market of Uzbekistan became a powerful signal for Hungarian and European business. An agreement was reached with the bank to expand financing instruments. We are talking about creating a joint company to develop car loans and launching a business support program. The creation of a poultry cluster in the Syrdarya region is also in the active phase.

During the morning meeting with the business community, agreements were reached on the implementation of new projects, including the modernization of transport infrastructure, the construction of roads and logistics centers, the development of utility networks, the production of finished textile products, building materials, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, in the field of digital technologies, aquaculture.

It was emphasized that for placement such productions in Uzbekistan, a special industrial zone is being created for European companies under the management of the Hungarian operator Inpark.

In general, it was agreed to prepare and adopt an Investment Partnership Program during the next meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission in July this year in Budapest.

It was also proposed to resume the activities of the Uzbek-Hungarian Business Council and hold its next meeting in the near future with the broad involvement of business.

The fruitful results of the first Forum of Regions, held in October last year in the city of Kokand, were noted with satisfaction. To stimulate interregional contacts, an agreement was reached on thorough preparations for the second Forum in Hungary.

In order to enhance business, tourist and cultural exchanges, the development of direct air routes between the two countries was also considered.

Particular attention was paid to increasing practical interaction in the cultural and humanitarian sphere.

In October last year, a bust of the great poet Alisher Navoi was unveiled in the city of Lakiteleke. In January of this year, the Days of Uzbek Cinema were held in Budapest.

It is proposed to declare next year the Year of Uzbek and Hungarian Culture. Preparations are underway for the production of the ballet “Lazgi” on the stage of the State Opera House of Hungary and for an exhibition of Uzbek culture at the Ethnographic Museum of Budapest.

Collaboration will continue within the framework of educational exchanges through the Stipendium Hungaricum program. The possibilities of introducing a system of double diplomas and creating branches of Hungarian universities in our country were also considered.

In this context, it was proposed to hold the third Uzbek-Hungarian Forum of Rectors in Tashkent this year.

The leaders exchanged views on the current international and regional agenda. The importance of continuing cooperation in the fight against terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, human trafficking and other modern security challenges was emphasized.

In order to establish control over the implementation of the agreements reached, the responsible ministries were instructed to prepare a joint road map.

At the end of the meeting, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev invited Prime Minister Viktor Orban to visit Uzbekistan on a return visit.

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Following the results of negotiations held in Budapest, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban signed a Joint Declaration on the establishment of expanded strategic partnership relations.

In their presence, a number of adopted intergovernmental and interdepartmental documents were also exchanged, including the Extradition Treaty, the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Climate Change, interdepartmental agreements in the field of natural disaster management, on cooperation in the field of science and innovation, peaceful atom and others.

Official website of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan