Hungary signs military cooperation agreement with Uzbekistan
Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky has paid a visit to Uzbekistan, the first by a Hungarian defence minister, and he and his Uzbek counterpart signed an extensive cooperation pact.
Szalay-Bobrovniczky said in a video uploaded to Facebook late Monday that the leaders of the two countries “have already achieved very serious results in other areas.”
He said that now Hungary and Uzbekistan will work on “strengthening our defence industry,” adding that the stability of Central Asia was vitally important for Hungary’s security.
Communication channels between East and West serve Hungary’s interests and must be kept open, the minister said in a statement published on the honvedelem.hu website. He added that the Tashkent visit was an important component in maintaining those channels.
The statement noted that in March 2021, the two countries elevated their relations to the level of strategic partnership. Since then, ties have been expanding and covering more areas.
The minister said the Joint Declaration he signed in Tashkent with Major General Shukhrat Kholmukhammedov lays the foundations for military education and training cooperation.
Meanwhile, he noted that Hungary’s embassy in Uzbekistan is a NATO liaison embassy, adding that this was the first direct point of contact with the alliance. He said Uzbekistan was an important NATO partner thanks to its prominent role in fighting terrorism in Central Asia.
Both ministers agreed that the Russia-Ukraine war must be ended, and Szalay-Bobrovniczky said it was more vital than ever that US administration efforts to promote the peace process succeed as soon as possible. “Anything that endangers this must be avoided,” he added.
Szalay-Bobrovniczky laid a wreath at the monument in honour of the 1,400 Hungarian soldiers and their unknown comrades who died as prisoners of war in Uzbekistan during the First World War.
He also visited Uzbekistan’s Armed Forces Academy, its Centre for Innovative Technologies, and the Chimgan military training base.
As we wrote earlier, Uzbek carrier plans to launch a Hungarian airline, details HERE.
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