Hungary claims to be a bridge between East and West

On May 20-22, the Organization of Turkic–speaking States (OTS) will hold its first summit in the country of the European Union, Hungary, which has observer status in this association. The agenda includes key issues of communication development, expansion of mutual trade, unification of alphabets and promotion of the common Turkic language. Rasim Musabekov, a member of the Azerbaijani Parliament, noted that these issues need to be resolved as soon as possible. On the sidelines of the summit, Prime Minister Viktor Orban will also hold bilateral talks with the leaders of Central Asian countries.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban initiated the event in Budapest, emphasizing Hungary’s special role as a bridge between East and West.

“The OTG summit in Hungary is an unprecedented event: for the first time, an informal meeting of the organization is being held in a European Union country, and in an observer country. The meeting will be mainly of an economic nature, as the countries of the CIS demonstrate their growing political independence in a multipolar world. There is no common economic policy in the EU, so many countries are striving for a more sovereign course, and Hungary is a prime example of this. In addition to the multilateral format, the Budapest meeting will become a platform for bilateral negotiations focusing on the economy and energy,” Artur Suleymanov, an expert at the Berlek–Unity Center for Geopolitical Studies (Ufa), said in an interview with NG. In his opinion, in the context of tension between Russia and the West, the search for alternative ways of cooperation is especially relevant.

“Hungary’s active participation in energy forums, as well as energy cooperation between Russia and Central Asia (for example, Gazprom’s agreements at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum) make Hungary an interested participant in this process. In a sense, the Budapest talks may be a precursor to the summer talks at the upcoming forum in St. Petersburg, even though these events are of different scales,” the expert believes. According to him, Turkey is interested in the further development of the OTG, however, despite the intensive development of the organization, its influence is limited: for the countries of Central Asia, Russia and China remain key trade, economic and political partners. Turkey is also a partner, but of a different order, Artur Suleymanov believes.

Hungary’s activity in the OTG, according to experts, is due to Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s desire for a balance between the European agenda and national interests in the context of geopolitical instability. Azerbaijani MP Rasim Musabekov notes the formation of an arc of instability around the Turkic states, emphasizing the risks associated with tensions between India and Pakistan, the possible escalation of the Iranian nuclear program, the situation in Syria and Iraq, tensions in the Balkans and the South Caucasus, as well as the conflict in Ukraine. In this situation, strengthening political cooperation and mutual support within the framework of the OTG, according to Musabekov, is extremely important to minimize risks. Although the OTG is not a military-political union, it is nevertheless called upon to address security issues. The MP cited the example of the military-technical consolidation of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

According to expert Suleymanov, a model of close military-political cooperation similar to the Turkish-Azerbaijani one is inapplicable to the countries of Central Asia. The idea of a “Turkic army” is more of an informational noise. The leaders of Central Asia are well aware that in the event of an external threat, Russia and the forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will remain the main partner. Military-political and military-technical cooperation within the framework of the OTG is still amorphous.

But there are other humanitarian areas where the development of integration processes is possible, and in which Azerbaijan and Turkey are significantly ahead of other Turkic states. According to Rasim Musabekov, Azerbaijan’s choice in favor of close integration with Turkey was made earlier than that of the Central Asian countries. “But it is worth considering that many of the actions of the integration model that are being worked out in Central Asia follow the path already taken by Azerbaijan: the transition to the Latin schedule, close military-political and allied cooperation with Turkey, developed cooperation in the field of security, military-industrial complex and economy. In this regard, Azerbaijan is the locomotive of Turkic integration.

The second point is the Middle Corridor, which is becoming increasingly important for both China and the EU. “The CIS countries act as a natural land bridge connecting China and Europe. Although the Middle Corridor is not an alternative to sea routes, its importance may increase if peace is achieved between Russia and Ukraine and communications through Russia are resumed. In this scenario, the role and geopolitical importance of the OTG will significantly increase,” Musabekov believes.

The bilateral meetings of Prime Minister Viktor Orban will begin with talks with President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. He has an official visit to Hungary. The parties are preparing to sign a number of bilateral agreements deepening the strategic partnership concluded in 2022 during the Uzbek leader’s first visit to Budapest. At that time, 16 interstate documents were signed in various fields, from industrial cooperation to academic exchanges.

The Uzbek-Hungarian Development Fund was established in 2022 to finance joint projects. Over the past two years, this fund has supported initiatives worth over 100 million euros. Today, Hungary is one of the most active European investors in Uzbekistan. The main areas of economic cooperation are pharmaceuticals, the agro-industrial complex, the food industry, mechanical engineering and water technologies, as well as cooperation in projects for the construction of nuclear power plants.

Currently, 17 enterprises established with the participation of Hungarian investments are operating in Uzbekistan, of which 10 are joint ventures and 4 with 100 percent Hungarian capital.