The foreign minister has revealed that Hungary has delivered 20 ventilators to Kyrgyzstan.
During talks in Bishkek, Péter Szijjártó said that Hungary was prepared to help the countries that it had received assistance from when it found itself in a difficult situation because of the coronavirus pandemic.
According to MTI, the minister said the pandemic has brought about many unpredictable and unexpected developments, adding that it was “impossible to know who will find themselves in trouble and when”. This makes international cooperation all the more important, he said.
Minister Szijjártó said Hungary brought the ventilators to Kyrgyzstan because the country’s healthcare sector is close to being overburdened,. He added that since Hungary had procured the health accessories necessary to mount an effective response to the epidemic, it could afford to bring the ventilators to Kyrgyzstan without jeopardizing its own preparations even for a worst-case scenario.
In addition, Hungary has also delivered a shipment of medicine donated by Austria, the minister said. He noted that when Europe and specifically Hungary had faced serious challenges concerning the pandemic, “each and every member of the Turkic Council came to our assistance.”
The minister said that now is the time to lay the groundwork for the presence and success of Hungarian businesses in central Asia. To this end, Hungary and Kyrgyzstan reached an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation and finalized deals on the mutual protection of investment projects which will soon be signed.
Hungarian pharmaceutical products are expanding their already strong presence on the Kyrgyz market, the minister said, adding that Hungarian businesses will also participate in international radioactive waste disposal projects.
Minister Szijjártó also underlined the importance of the stability of Central Asia from the perspective of European security, saying that the region was especially exposed to terrorism, Islamic extremism and challenges stemming from Afghanistan. Hungary supports making Kyrgyzstan a member of the United Nations Security Council, the minister said, underscoring the importance of aiding Central Asian countries as part of the international community’s cooperation on security and counter-terrorism measures.
Finally, Minister Szijjártó also expressed Hungary’s support for a strategic partnership deal between the European Union and Kyrgyzstan, saying the agreement should be signed as soon as possible.