We are Also Strengthening our Partnership with Uzbekistan in the Field of Defence Relations!

The minister underlined that the dynamically developing Central Asian territory is of increasing significance to European security and economy. In March 2021, Uzbekistan and Hungary raised their relations to the level of strategic partnership, which has been constantly expanding ever since and covering more and more fields. During the past years, the political and economic relations between the two countries could be strengthened, and now the enhancement of the defence cooperation is on the agenda.

With my counterpart, we discussed the viewpoints of the two countries in the fields of defence policy and military-to-military cooperation. The now signed Joint Declaration is an important step in this process. Therefore, besides the defence policy dialogue, we get the opportunity to cooperate also in the field of military education and training, added Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky.

The minister underlined that the Central Asian region’s stability is of key importance from the point of view of Hungary’s security. Since 2023, the Hungarian Embassy in Uzbekistan has filled the role of the NATO Contact Point Embassy (CPE). Therefore, Hungary’s diplomatic representation is the first direct contact point to the Alliance. Uzbekistan is a significant player in the fight against terrorism in the Central Asian region, and thus an important partner to the Alliance.

Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said that during the discussions, they agreed that the Russo-Ukrainian War afflicting Europe must be ended. He pointed out that it is more important than anything else that the efforts of the US administration for enhancing the peace process be successful as soon as possible. We must refrain from the steps that jeopardize this.

Within the framework of this program, the defence minister laid a wreath at the monument erected at the beginning of the 1920s in honour of the 1400 Hungarian soldiers and their nameless comrades, who died in POW camps in Uzbekistan in World War I. Besides, the minister made a professional visit to the Academy of the Uzbek Armed Forces, the Centre of Innovative Technologies and the Chimgan military training base. These provided an opportunity to learn about Uzbek military exercises and technological developments in the fields of military training and defence.

Press release by the Ministry of Defence