Budapest, 12 November 2026– Anel Bakytbekkyzy, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Hungary, participated in a meeting between Anita Orbán, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary, and the Ambassadors of Central Asian countries.
During the meeting, the parties discussed the current state and prospects for developing cooperation between Hungary and Central Asian countries, with particular emphasis on strengthening political dialogue, expanding trade, economic and investment ties, enhancing transport and logistics connectivity, and promoting cooperation in energy, education and digital technologies.
The Hungarian side reaffirmed its interest in further strengthening relations with Central Asian countries, highlighting the region's strategic importance in Hungary's foreign policy. Budapest expressed its readiness to serve as a bridge between Central Asia and the European Union and to facilitate the implementation of joint infrastructure and investment projects, including through the instruments of the EU's Global Gateway initiative.
The Ambassador of Kazakhstan emphasised the strategic nature of Kazakh-Hungarian relations, which are based on mutual trust, historical and cultural ties, and sustained political dialogue.
Particular attention was paid to the upcoming 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Hungary. The anniversary was viewed as an opportunity to give new impetus to bilateral cooperation, intensify political contacts and explore the organisation of reciprocal visits at high and highest levels.
The Kazakh side advocated revitalising the work of existing bilateral mechanisms, including the Strategic Council, the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation and the Business Council. The importance of promptly appointing the Hungarian Co-Chair of the Intergovernmental Commission in preparation for its next meeting was also emphasised.
In the field of trade and economic cooperation, Kazakhstan expressed its interest in increasing bilateral trade, diversifying trade turnover, attracting Hungarian investment and implementing joint projects in mechanical engineering, agriculture, logistics and other priority sectors. In particular, the parties were encouraged to intensify work on the initiative to establish a joint investment fund and accelerate negotiations on a new agreement on the mutual promotion and protection of investments.
The parties also discussed prospects for the participation of Hungarian companies in the modernisation of Kazakhstan's infrastructure and the development of geological exploration, the agro-industrial sector, water management, nuclear energy and digital technologies. The Kazakh side expressed interest in cooperation on training specialists for the nuclear industry, including by drawing on the experience of the Hungarian company MVM.
In the context of developing transport connectivity, the strategic importance of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) was highlighted as a key link between Asia and Europe.
To strengthen multilateral cooperation, the Kazakh side proposed considering the development of a “Central Asia + Hungary” format, with the prospect of expanding cooperation to a “Central Asia + Visegrád Group” format.
The Hungarian side welcomed this initiative and expressed its readiness to continue jointly exploring appropriate mechanisms for regional cooperation.
The Ambassadors of Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan also reaffirmed their interest in deepening cooperation with Hungary, focusing on political contacts, investment cooperation, interregional ties, educational exchanges and coordination within international organisations.
During the discussions, the Hungarian side outlined plans to further improve the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship programme, emphasising its intention to maintain the programme while enhancing its effectiveness.
Interest was also expressed in giving a more practical focus to the activities of the Organization of Turkic States, including the work of its Representation Office in Budapest.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the parties reaffirmed their mutual interest in maintaining regular political dialogue, developing existing cooperation mechanisms and moving towards the implementation of concrete joint projects aimed at strengthening the partnership between Hungary and Central Asian countries.
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