Today, April 30, the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš held high-level talks in Tashkent during the Prime Minister's official visit. The discussions included a private, one-on-one session followed by expanded meetings with their respective national delegations, the presidential press service reported.
Opening the summit, President Mirziyoyev declared that "this visit will be a breakthrough, marking a qualitatively new chapter in the history of Uzbek-Czech relations."
The leaders noted that bilateral trade has nearly doubled in recent years. To build on this momentum, they set an ambitious target to reach $1 billion in annual trade by diversifying the range of goods and services exchanged.
To streamline commerce, Uzbekistan is establishing its first certification branch in the Czech Republic. Additionally, the two nations are collaborating on a modern laboratory for Euro-6 automotive certification and a quantum measurement standard.
Currently, 37 joint ventures with Czech capital are operating in Uzbekistan, with several new cooperative projects in the pipeline. The leaders agreed to develop a "Technological Cooperation Program" featuring top Czech firms. This initiative will focus on mechanical engineering, green energy, geology and critical raw materials, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.
The talks also highlighted significant opportunities for partnership in infrastructure development, "smart city" initiatives, engineering, and digital transformation.
The two sides also welcomed plans by the Czech Export Guarantee and Insurance Corporation and the Czech Export Bank to provide financial support for projects in Uzbekistan.
To drive the economic agenda forward, the leaders proposed establishing a Joint Business Council and scheduled the next meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission for August in Tashkent.
Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to expanding academic and educational exchanges, with a particular focus on joint degree programs. They also emphasized the importance of cultural diplomacy, agreeing to hold regular cultural and film festivals, exhibitions, and concerts to strengthen ties and boost tourism.
"To support these initiatives, the possibility of relaunching direct flights between the two capitals will be explored," the official statement noted. It is worth noting that for over a decade, air travel between Uzbekistan and the Czech Republic has been limited to seasonal charter flights; Czech Airlines previously operated regular service from 2009 to 2014.
The meeting also addressed potential cooperation regarding organized labor migration and concluded with an exchange of views on pressing international issues.
