“A bridge must be built between Europe and Central Asia to ensure that the two regions can realise mutually beneficial cooperation within the fields of politics, the economy and security”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said on Tuesday in Budapest.
At a press conference held during a meeting of foreign ministers from the countries of the Visegrád Group (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, the V4), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, Mr. Szijjártó stressed: The two regions are facing similar challenges and are committed to the fight against religious radicalism and terrorism, in addition to which they also share a similar position on the need to prevent illegal immigration. They also have a similar opinion with regard to action against people smuggling and organised crime, he added.
From the perspective of cooperation it is important that the countries of Central Asia have significant raw material resources, in addition to which we could also cooperate with relation to water industry projects, he highlighted.
The Central Asian region could be of key importance with relation to the diversification of Europe’s energy supply in the near future, the Minister explained. In addition, these countries have major hydroelectric energy resources, only a small proportion of which are actually being exploited, he said, adding that Central Europe has at its disposal a plethora of water industry technologies, in view of which Central European companies could realise water industry projects within the region.
Mr. Szijjártó also said that this was the first time that a meeting of foreign ministers had been organised with the participation of these countries involved, and further meetings are expected to follow. One of the points of the programme of the Hungarian presidency of the Visegrád Group is Global Visegrád, meaning that as the closest and most effective alliance within the EU the V4 must make it clear that the EU needs external allies and friends to ensure that it can regain its rightful place in world politics and within the global economy, he pointed out.
The Minister also noted that the EU’s Special Representative responsible for developing the European Union’s Central Asia policy was also a guest at the meeting, and told the participants that the EU is currently in the process of modernising the strategy.
Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov declared that the V4 has become one of the most important and promising partners of the Central Asian countries, for which the opportunity to study this successful alliance is extremely useful.
According to Mr. Abdrakhmanov, Tuesday’s negotiations took place in the spirit of openness and mutual understanding. Among possible areas of cooperation between the V4 and Central Asia, he mentioned energy, water management and education.
With relation to his country, the Kazakh Foreign Minister stressed that Kazakhstan is contributing significantly to peace, stability, cooperation and sustainable development within the Eurasian region.
In reply to a question, he blamed the reduction in Hungarian-Kazakh bilateral trade flow on the vulnerability of international markets, but indicated that the parties are striving to boost relations, for instance within the field of agriculture.
Kyrgyzstani Foreign Minister Erlan Abdyldaev explained that the latest chapter in cooperation between the Visegrád Group and the Central Asian states could be advantageous and favourable to both parties.
Most important is economic cooperation, but we are also placing major emphasis on education cooperation, and for instance we have been promised that Hungary will be increasing the number of scholarship places available to Kyrgyzstani students, he said.
In closing, the Foreign Minister suggested that the next meeting with the countries of the V4 should take place in Central Asia.
In reply to a question, the Foreign Minister also told the press that Kyrgyzstan is playing a very active role in China’s one Belt, One Road strategy.
(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)
