The Hungarian-Uzbek Business Forum, organized in Budapest by the HEPA Hungarian Export Promotion Agency, focused on deepening economic relations between the two countries. The event held particular significance for the Archenerg-Metál Cluster, as it was attended by representatives of twenty Hungarian companies, many of which are active in the metal and energy industries. The forum also presented potential cooperation opportunities that could be crucial for the cluster's future. The event was attended by Mirzaev Zoir Toirovich, Governor of the Tashkent Region; Aybek Shakhavdinov, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Hungary; and Dr. Gábor Péter Artner, Deputy CEO of HEPA.
At the event, Dr. Gábor Péter Artner, HEPA's Deputy CEO, used statistical data to support the dynamic development of Hungarian-Uzbek relations. Hungarian product exports to Uzbekistan grew by 9.1% in 2023 and by another 19% in 2024. Service exports showed even more spectacular growth, increasing more than fourteenfold in 2023 and by another 1.5 times in 2024. This data clearly reflects the revitalization of bilateral trade, which already exceeded €116 million in 2024.
Mirzaev Zoir Toirovich, Governor of the Tashkent Region, highlighted that a bilateral agreement was signed in the autumn of 2024 to establish an industrial and logistics park for Hungarian companies called INPARK Angren. This park offers a complex economic and infrastructural environment, an ideal opportunity for members of the Archenerg-Metál Cluster to enter the Uzbek market. The governor also emphasized that Uzbekistan has a high demand for Hungarian innovation and expertise in industry, agriculture, and the energy sector, which opens up new opportunities for cooperation for the cluster's companies.
Representatives of the Hungarian companies attending the event, including potential members of the Archenerg-Metál Cluster, held personal discussions with the governor, which will form the basis of future partnerships and business plans. The forum confirmed that the economic partnership between the two countries rests on solid foundations, with numerous mutually beneficial projects providing a stable basis for long-term cooperation.