Szijjarto announces EUR 14m Kyrgyz-Hungarian development fund

Speaking at a joint press conference held with Ruslan Kazakbayev, his Kyrgyz counterpart, Szijjarto said the fund would ensure loans and other financial instruments for investments by Hungarian companies in Kyrgyzstan.

He said that they had also signed agreements on international freight transport and metrological cooperation, and an agreement on the cooperation between the two countries’ foreign ministries in 2022/23.

Hungary will expand its embassy’s operation in Bishkek with its consular section issuing visas of four other EU countries as of September.

Szijjarto called EU member Hungary’s strategic partnership with Kyrgyzstan, a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, a highly important pillar of cooperation with Eurasia.

The two countries will celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2022, Szijjarto said, adding that their cooperation was built on mutual respect. In terms of bilateral trade, Szijjarto said its volume had increased by 150 percent over the first three months of this year.

He said “intensive negotiations” on establishing a direct air link between Hungary and Kyrgyzstan were ongoing. Szijjarto said an agreement had been reached with two Kyrgyz universities on launching Hungarian language courses and another one on setting up a Hungarian cultural centre in Bishkek.

The Hungarian foreign minister later presented water treatment equipment for use in the Kyrgyz army’s mobile hospital. “We highly appreciate Kyrgyzstan’s role in maintaining peace and stability in its region and beyond,” Szijjarto said, adding that Hungary’s aim with the donation was to contribute to the success of Kyrgyzstan’s peacekeeping.