Foreign minister Szijjártó: Hungary, Kyrgyzstan ready to advance cooperation

Hungary and Kyrgyzstan have recently lifted their cooperation to a strategic partnership and have taken the decisions needed to further advance their relations, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Bishkek on Tuesday.

Central Asia is one of the world’s fastest growing regions and will continue to be a key destination when it comes to Hungary’s foreign trade aspirations, Szijjártó said in a joint press briefing with his Kyrgyz counterpart Jeenbek Kulubayev, according to a foreign ministry statement.

The Hungarian-Kyrgyz development fund recently began operations, Szijjártó said, adding that the Hungarian government had contributed five billion forints (EUR 13.2m) to it with a view to supporting investments by Hungarian companies in Kyrgyzstan. Preparations on the first projects are under way, with Hungary and Kyrgyzstan engaged in advanced talks on the construction of hydropower plants, the delivery of live animals, the export of ATMs and the construction of irrigation and sewage systems, Szijjarto said. The foundations for such investments are solid, Szijjarto said, noting that bilateral trade turnover last year increased by 47 percent, exceeding 12 million dollars.

As regards the war in Ukraine, Szijjártó said the conflict was also affecting Hungarian-Kyrgyz relations, noting that a direct air link between Budapest and Bishkek had yet to be established due to the crisis.