Uzbekistan and Hungary: strategic partnership of new times

On May 19-21, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev will pay an official visit to Hungary, where he will also take part in the informal summit of the Organization of Turkic states, which will take place in Budapest.

Diplomatic relations between Uzbekistan and Hungary were established on March 14, 1992, shortly after the declaration of independence of Uzbekistan. Since then, bilateral cooperation has undergone a significant evolution - from formal interaction to building a constructive and mutually respectful dialogue.

The foundation of modern intensive cooperation was laid in March 2021, when, following the visit of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to Tashkent, a Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership was signed. This document recorded the intentions of the parties to take relations to a qualitatively new level.

Today, the political dialogue between the two countries is highly dynamic. In addition to Viktor Orban’s visit to Uzbekistan, the official visit of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Hungary in October 2022 deserves special attention. As a result of the high-level negotiations, 16 bilateral documents were signed, covering a variety of areas - from industrial cooperation and scientific and technical cooperation to academic exchanges. As part of the visit, an Uzbek-Hungarian business forum was also held, in which leading representatives of the business circles of the two countries took part.

Currently, active cooperation is being carried out both at the bilateral level and in multilateral formats. Interstate cooperation is based on an extensive legal framework, including more than 50 bilateral documents. The most important of them were agreements on mutual protection of investments, cooperation in the fields of science, innovation, agriculture, water management, as well as interdepartmental memorandums in the fields of education, healthcare and high technology. This scale of legal registration indicates a purposeful strengthening of the institutional basis of relations.

Inter-parliamentary cooperation between Uzbekistan and Hungary plays an important role in strengthening the strategic partnership of the two countries, supporting the institutional basis for political dialogue, economic interaction and humanitarian exchanges. This mechanism not only strengthens the basis of strategic partnership, but also serves as an important channel for exchanging experience, coordinating legislative initiatives and developing common approaches to international challenges.

In 2020, inter-parliamentary cooperation groups were established in the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan and the National Assembly of Hungary. This format of interaction contributes to the growth of political trust and sustainability of the partnership. Moreover, parliamentary diplomacy is increasingly used as a tool for promoting humanitarian initiatives, supporting academic and youth exchanges, as well as expanding economic ties.

Fruitful interaction has also been established between the foreign policy departments of the two countries. A striking manifestation of this was the signing of the Inter-Ministry of Foreign Affairs Cooperation Program for 2024-2026 during the visit to Uzbekistan by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Peter Szijjártó.

Trade and economic cooperation remains a key factor in the development of Uzbek-Hungarian relations. The volume of bilateral trade turnover has significant potential for growth and the parties are confidently increasing their trade relations. If, according to data for 2024, trade between countries exceeded 78 million US dollars, then in January-March of this year this figure amounted to 25.1 million dollars, demonstrating a stable increase.

The Uzbek-Hungarian Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation is of particular importance in the process of establishing trade and economic ties. The ninth meeting of the commission was held in May 2024 in Tashkent. As a result, a number of bilateral documents were signed, including a memorandum on interaction between the chambers of commerce and industry of both countries. Issues regarding the implementation of bilateral agreements were discussed, including the creation of a Special Industrial Zone for Hungarian companies in the Angren SEZ. An investment agreement on the implementation of this project was signed in October 2024.

A special place in the economic dialogue is occupied by the activities of the Uzbek-Hungarian Business Council, created in 2021, and the Uzbek-Hungarian Development Fund, established in 2022. The main goal of the latter is to finance joint investment projects. Based on the results of 2023-2024, the fund supported initiatives worth over 100 million euros, including the establishment of production, modernization of agricultural infrastructure and the introduction of digital solutions in resource management.

Today, Hungary is consistently among the most active European investors in Uzbekistan. The main areas of economic interaction are pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food industry, mechanical engineering and water technologies. Currently, 17 enterprises created with the participation of Hungarian investments operate in Uzbekistan, of which 10 are joint ventures and 4 with 100% Hungarian capital.

In the context of the reform and privatization of state-owned banks in Uzbekistan, interaction in the banking sector is becoming an important area of ​​cooperation. In December 2022, an agreement was signed between OTR Bank and the Ministry of Finance of Uzbekistan on the phased acquisition by the Hungarian bank of 100% shares of Ipoteka Bank JSCB.

Business forums, business missions and B2B meetings have become a regular practice. Representative Hungarian delegations, headed by heads of ministries of the economic sector, have become traditional participants in the annual Tashkent International Investment Forum. Over the past two years alone, a number of major business events have been held, including a business forum in Tashkent and a roadshow of Uzbek companies in Budapest. These platforms contribute to the formation of stable contacts between business circles, the establishment of supply chains and cooperation in the real sector of the economy.

Cultural and humanitarian cooperation remains an important area in the development of bilateral interaction. One of the brightest symbols of historical and cultural ties between Uzbekistan and Hungary is the Hungarian orientalist, Turkologist and traveler Arminius Vambery (1832-1913). His scientific and research activities related to modern Central Asia, in particular to the territory of Uzbekistan, laid a solid foundation for intercultural dialogue, which continues today.

Currently, educational programs of the University of Debrecen are operating in Uzbekistan, as well as projects on academic exchanges, internships and scientific research. Hungarian universities, including Semmelweis University, are open to students from Uzbekistan, especially in the fields of medicine, engineering and agriculture. Every year, the Hungarian government, through the Hungaricum Scholarship program, allocates 170 scholarships to Uzbek students wishing to continue their studies at universities in this country.

Cultural initiatives include organizing cultural days, holding concerts, photo exhibitions and presentations of national traditions. In the Hungarian capital there is a Center for Uzbek Language and Culture, which has become a platform for dialogue between the two peoples.

In 2020, the exhibition “Hungarian Dervish in Central Asia”, dedicated to the life and travels of Arminius Vambery, was organized in Budapest. It presented manuscripts, historical exhibits and items from the scientist’s personal museum, collected during his travels around Uzbekistan. The exhibition was visited by more than 5 thousand people, which indicates a high interest in the history and culture of our country in Hungary.

Another confirmation of this was the opening in October 2024 in the Hungarian city of Lakitelek of a monument to the Uzbek poet Alisher Navoi, created by the Hungarian sculptor Georgi Lantos.

In January 2025, the Days of Uzbek Cinema were held in Budapest for the first time and with great success, which became a significant event in strengthening cultural ties between Uzbekistan and Hungary. The Hungarian public has received with great interest modern Uzbek films, reflecting the diversity of themes and genres of national cinema.

Ties between libraries, museums and creative unions are actively developing. Hungary is also interested in studying and popularizing the Turkic cultural heritage, which contributes to the development of joint scientific and archaeological expeditions.

Thus, Uzbek-Hungarian relations are on the rise, demonstrating examples of mature, balanced and multifaceted interaction. They confirm that geography and historical differences are not barriers to building strong cooperation based on strategic thinking, mutual understanding and a focus on the future. Taking into account the current dynamics, we can confidently say that Uzbekistan and Hungary are entering a new stage of partnership, where mutual interests are realized in specific projects and proactive decisions.

Interaction within the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), where Hungary has been in observer status since 2018, is of particular importance. This participation allows Budapest to build close ties with Turkic-speaking countries and contribute to interregional integration. Cooperation within the framework of the UTC provides Uzbekistan and Hungary with unique opportunities for implementing joint projects in the field of transport, energy, digitalization, education and ecology.

In the context of global changes and the growing role of regional unions, Hungary is considered by Uzbekistan as a partner capable of promoting deepening ties with the European Union and at the same time supporting initiatives of the Turkic world.

In this regard The upcoming official visit of the President of Uzbekistan to Hungary is intended to consolidate the agreements reached and outline new horizons for partnership. Its holding against the backdrop of the informal UTC summit indicates the trusting nature of the dialogue and the high degree of political synchronization between the countries.

IA Dunyo