On May 20, 2025, a strategically significant roundtable was held between Uzbekistan and Hungary in Budapest, as part of the Informal Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), held on May 20–21.
The event’s diplomatic and economic importance was underscored by the personal presence of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who was accompanied by a high-level delegation including Laziz Kudratov, Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade; Saidov Bakhtiyor, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Ibrokhim Abdurakhmonov, Minister of Agriculture; Jamol Makhsudov, Deputy Minister for Digital Technologies; Jasurbek Choriev, Deputy Minister of Transport; Davrondjon Adilov, Deputy Minister for Construction, Housing and Public Services; Akram Aliev, Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade; and Oybek Shakhavdinov, Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to Hungary.
Hungary was represented by Márton Nagy, Minister of National Economy; Katalin Bihari, Deputy State Secretary for Foreign Trade Development; and Gábor Jenei, CEO of HEPA Hungarian Export Promotion Agency.
The roundtable drew significant attention from leading Hungarian investors across the energy, construction, ICT, financial services, and environmental protection sectors. The Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MKIK) and INPARK also participated in the discussions.
Talks at the presidential level centered on potential expansion into the Uzbek market and investment opportunities, confirming the long-term commitment and strategic interest of participating companies in the Central Asian region. In his speech, Gábor Jenei emphasized that fruitful economic cooperation requires jointly developed mechanisms that support both Hungarian and Uzbek commercial interests and align with each country’s national strategy. A key opportunity for preparing these initiatives will be the 10th session of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation, taking place in Budapest in July 2025.
Gabor Jenei also pointed out that Hungary has held observer status in the OTS since 2018, and within this cooperative framework, the OTS Drought Prevention Institute was established and has been hosted by HEPA since late summer 2024. Since then, a structured project preparation mechanism has been launched to support water management efforts among Turkic states, with Hungarian engineering firms contributing professional expertise free of charge.
The meeting affirmed the dynamic development of Uzbek-Hungarian economic relations and created a strong foundation for joint investments and long-term partnerships in the Central Asian region.