11/11/11 Uzbekistan, Hungary set for new horizons of cooperation

Дата публикации: Feb 09, 2012 1:36:20 PM

UZBEKISTAN, HUNGARY SET FOR NEW HORIZONS OF COOPERATION

As reported earlier, on the invitation of President Islam Karimov, President of the Republic of Hungary Pal Schmitt arrived in Uzbekistan November 6 with official visit.

The visit’s major events started on November 7 from an official ceremony of meeting at the Kuksaroy country complex with members of delegations, chiefs of diplomatic missions and representative offices of international organizations accredited in Uzbekistan.

A guard of honor lined up to greet the high-ranking guest. Islam Karimov and Pal Schmitt rose to the podium to pay tribute to state anthems of our two countries. The Presidents reviewed the guard of honor.

Following the ceremony, the heads of the two states started bilateral negotiations with a conversation in a contracted manner.

The two leaders agreed that the current meeting constitutes a logical continuation of their September 2010 prolific bilateral talks during the UN Millennium Development Goals summit in New York.

Islam Karimov has suggested the official visit by the President of Hungary is considered in Uzbekistan an important stage in the evolution of bilateral relations, a good opportunity to afford a substantial impetus in these new, dynamically changing circumstances, to the advancement of multidimensional cooperation and mutually advantageous partnership between our two nations.

Uzbekistan stands to further these goals given the tremendous potential, including the strategically pivotal location of both countries in Central Asia and Central Europe, respectively.

Our country is also interested in boosting interaction with Hungary within the framework of the European Union, and is willing to keep forward comprehensive efforts toward materialization of EU’s Central Asia Strategy.

President Pal Schmitt stressed that Hungary regards Uzbekistan as an important partner in Central Asia and acknowledges our nation’s growing role in international politics.

With relations stretching back to the depth of ages, the Uzbek and Hungarian peoples deserve to take pride in their unique histories, the rich spiritual and cultural heritage and gracious deeds of great ancestors who made a significant input into the progress of world civilization as well as their own national histories. These objective premises set a reliable backbone to foster the traditional relations to a higher rank.

In the course of the candid and constructive conversation at the Kuksaroy complex, Islam Karimov and Pal Schmitt have thoroughly deliberated on a wide range of topics pertaining to the current state and prospects of Uzbek-Hungarian interaction, and exchanged views on principal issues in regional and international affairs. The two leaders confirmed proximity or a match of approaches to addressing the matters under consideration.

In particular, the two sides expressed unity in their serious concern with the intensification and escalation of conflict in Afghanistan. It has been pointed out that the current developments in Afghanistan clearly suggest that there is no military solution to the Afghan crisis. Only through compromise and consensus reached among the confronting parties and engaging the Afghans themselves in this process, can there be a way out of the present deadlock.

Hungary’s leader said his country highly appreciates the peace-loving policy of Uzbekistan, including the latter’s initiatives and practical strides toward addressing the situation in Afghanistan and its economic recovery.

The bilateral talks continued in an extended format when the heads of state were joined by other members of official delegations, UzA informs.

A significant emphasis during the negotiations was placed on furthering the trade and investment cooperation. That trend is backed by objective circumstances brought about by the remarkable effects of wide-ranging reforms undertaken in our two countries and the related growth in the appeal of national economies. Noteworthy in this regard is the mutually complementary nature of our economic systems.

The shared interest in boosting relations has been underscored in this respect, indicated by the fact that President Pal Schmitt is accompanied by an imposing delegation of leading Hungarian businesses from key sectors of national economy. They include heads of companies in foods and pharmaceuticals sectors, energy-saving technologies production, agricultural goods reprocessing enterprises, banking and finances, logistics, travel and engineering areas and so forth.

The dynamic growth of the Uzbek economy and the extensive preferences for foreign investors can serve as a solid backbone for a substantial rise in the volumes of Hungarian investments into our country in such priority spheres as chemical and pharmaceutical industry, medical equipment manufacturing, and agriculture and foods.

A range of representative offices are accredited, while numerous enterprises with participation of Hungarian capital are currently working in Uzbekistan.

Expounding on bilateral trade, the parties stressed that its growth exceeded 37 percent in 2010. At the same time, trade volumes hardly match the growing economic capacities of both Uzbekistan and Hungary, and that commerce can be cardinally shored up by an effective utilization of reserves and expansion of trade stock-lists.

Uzbekistan can uninterruptedly supply Hungary with cotton fiber and yarn, ready textiles, cables, precious and nonferrous metals, chemical industry goods and many other products in demand in the Central European country.

The major outcome of Uzbek-Hungarian highest-level talks has come to be the Joint Declaration which contains an expression of satisfaction with the fact that “cooperation between our two nations has been enhancing since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992 to serve the longer-term national interests of both sides.” Shared intention has been fixed to elevate bilateral interaction to a higher stage by bolstering the cooperation in a wide specter of dimensions, by expanding the exchange and further building up reciprocal contacts.

A large package of bilateral documents covering diverse spheres of cooperation has also been signed.

In particular, the Economic Cooperation Agreement stipulates setting up an intergovernmental commission composed of representatives of relevant government agencies and companies and covering in its activities practically the entire range of Uzbek-Hungarian interaction in trade and investment areas.

In accordance with Protocol on the Cooperation of Foreign Affairs Ministries of Uzbekistan and Hungary, an encouraging environment is to be created for establishing direct contacts and exchange of experience among diplomats.

Of foremost significance are the documents penned on cooperation in hydrocarbon industry, standardization and certification, metrology, and that between commerce and industry chambers of the two nations.

In his statement for mass media, President Islam Karimov has suggested that the talks with President Pal Schmitt were held in the spirit of constructivism, openness and mutual confidence, and that the negotiations will in every way possible facilitate consolidation and advancement of productive partnership bonds between the two countries for the good of the friendly peoples of Uzbekistan and Hungary.

The current visit will help enhance mutual ties and foster contacts between business circles of our two countries.

Pal Schmitt has said that the talks constitute a momentous step toward expansion of cooperation, and stressed in particular that during the meeting he had a chance to congratulate in the person of President Islam Karimov the entire Uzbek people on the 20th anniversary of national independence, and that our country has been making remarkable accomplishments on the way of independent development. President Schmitt also expressed satisfaction with President Karimov accepting the invitation to pay a visit to Hungary.

On the second half of the day, President Pal Schmitt traveled to the central plaza of Uzbekistan – Mustaqillik Square – and laid wrath to the Monument of Independence and Humanism that symbolizes the freedom, the bright future and the gracious aspirations of our people.

The high-ranking guest expressed keen interest in the wide-scale architectural and beautification efforts that have had the square attain a holistic and modern look deserving the great history and grand prospects in the development of our nation who has just celebrated its twentieth anniversary.

During the trip to the Legislative Chamber of Uzbekistan’s Oliy Majlis, President Schmitt got familiarized with the work of the lower house of our parliament.

At a meeting with Speaker Dilorom Tashmuhamedova, the high-ranking guest has been provided with detailed information on the peculiarities in the activities of Legislative Chamber assigned an important role in the implementation of Concept of Intensifying the Democratic Reforms and Forming Civil Society in the Country proposed by the President of Uzbekistan in 2010.

On this same day, Pal Schmitt has visited one of Tashkent’s major tourist attractions – State Museum of Temurids’ History, where the Hungarian leader left a note in the Book of Honored Guests.

Hungarian President’s official visit to our country continues.