Hungarian-Uzbek relations are on "solid foundations" and co-operation between the two countries has "gained good momentum", Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in Tashkent on Tuesday.

The Hungarian premier said he and the delegation arrived in Uzbekistan with „great hopes and optimism”. PM Orban noted that Hungary has followed Uzbekistan s modernisation, political and economic efforts with attention for the past few years. He spoke highly of Uzbekistan s  efforts to „use available resources in a modern economy,” and called it a „respectable programme”.

Mr Orban said it was a pleasure to have the opportunity to thank Uzbekistan in person for the noble gesture the country made a year ago, at the outburst of the pandemic, when there was not enough protective equipment and „we couldn t even talk about vaccines at the time,” he noted.

He recalled that in that difficult situation, when everyone needed protective gear, Uzbekistan and its president „thought of Hungarians” and sent hundreds of thousands of masks to Hungary to help curb the spread of the disease. „The Hungarians will never forget that,” Mr Orban stressed.

Hungary s premier underlined that global politics, as well as the global economy, were undergoing transformation. Chances are high that in ten years time „we will be living in a world that s completely different from today s world,” he said. He went on to add that some regions are emerging stronger, while others are becoming less important, the focuses in the global economy are shifting, new technologies are coming, the world is in motion.

PM Orban said that Hungarians and Uzbeks „held hands at the right time”, at the start of a new era in the global economy, and would use opportunities of a „great transformation” together, exploiting what it will bring for everyone, for Central Asia and Central Europe alike. 

The Hungarian prime minister stressed that in his experience, „without a flagship of economic cooperation chosen at the beginning, good intentions would get fragmented and evaporate”. He called for „one or two major programmes and shared ventures to give a clear signal to Hungarian and Uzbek businesses that something serious is in the making, and that they can sail safely in the wake of the big flagships, on calm waters”. 

He added that „some flagships” had already been identified „to promote the economies of the two countries”. It is an honour to have an opportunity for cooperation in the financial sector and Hungary is proud that „we ve been chosen as a partner” to contribute to the  modernisation of the Uzbek agriculture.

Viktor Orban also emphasized that Hungarian-Uzbek relations are on solid foundations, as can be seen from the fact that although the volume of world trade fell due to the pandemic, trade between Hungary and Uzbekistan increased has significantly. This shows that there is untapped bilateral potential, which can be further capitalised on with prudent policy decisions, he added.

He noted that the two countries have joint opportunities for cooperation both in the nuclear energy sector and in the pharmaceutical industry.

PM Orban also talked about Hungary being unique, „in lacking relations to the other peoples of Europe [originating from the East as a people].” However, the direction and focus of Central European countries, including the Visegrad Group, will be coordinated by Hungary in the next year. Mr Orban asked Uzbekistan s president to help him take advantage of this year in forging greater cooperation between the countries of Central Europe and Central Asia.

Hungary s PM stressed that the current agreements and negotiations gave added momentum to relations and invited the Uzbek president to visit Hungary. Once the first results are available, he will propose that the two governments hold a bilateral meeting to review the impacts and achievements together, Mr Orban said.

On Tuesday the Uzbek presidential office released news of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Hungarian PM Viktor Orban signing a joint statement in the presidential office in Tashkent on raising bilateral relations to the level of strategic partnership.

Dozens of additional documents – concerning the development of bilateral ties – were also signed in the presence of the two leaders. The Uzbek statement mentioned co-operation between the two countries foreign ministries in the fields of labour, training of nuclear energy experts, innovation, culture and agricultural development. An agreement was also reached on the training programs of the Hungarian University of Debrecen being offered in Uzbekistan.

According to the Uzbek kun.uz news portal, President Mirziyoyev told the press after the talks that bilateral relations had developed dynamically in recent years – citing the tripling of trade between the two countries in four years – and had reached a qualitatively new level. As he put it, the current negotiations focused primarily on the advancement of economic ties.

According to Uzbek news sources, the two leaders also agreed to reinforce long-term cooperation by launching new, mutually beneficial endeavours, and by liaising between businesses and regions of the two countries. Topics of their discussion also included international and regional areas of mutual interest. According to the news briefing in Tashkent, the parties reaffirmed that they have similar views and approaches on the issue of strengthening peace, security and stability.