Slovakia is ready to accept Uzbek labor migrants

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico arrived in Uzbekistan on June 8 for a three-day visit. The key event on Monday was the solemn ceremony of his official meeting with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, held at the grand residence “Kuksaroy”. During the talks, the parties discussed in detail further ways to develop multifaceted Uzbek-Slovak cooperation, focusing on such priority areas as trade, investment and innovation, agriculture, industry, energy, tourism and migration. Robert Fico will also participate and speak at the IV Tashkent International Investment Forum.

Against the background of increased diplomatic activity, a group of European Union countries that do not always agree with the common line of Brussels is actively building relations with Uzbekistan. Among them are Hungary, Slovenia, which was recently visited by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and Slovakia, whose Prime minister arrived in Tashkent.

“This special approach of the “medium” EU states is due to the fact that their interaction with the countries of Central Asia (CA), and with Uzbekistan in particular, is not limited to the framework of the EU–CA format and is not as unilaterally pragmatic as that of France and Germany. The latter often tend to consider the region primarily as a source of raw materials for export, a sales market, as well as a tool for maintaining their political reputation. In contrast, the aforementioned countries propose a different paradigm of cooperation – the creation of a full production cycle directly in the region. This proposal fully coincides with the interests and strategic vision of the Central Asian countries themselves. As a result, mutual interest is formed, leading to productive, rich and equal relations between these medium–sized players and their wide range of partners,” Stanislav Pritchin, Head of the Central Asia Sector at the IMEMO RAS, told NG.

This approach undoubtedly appeals to Uzbekistan. It is significant that following recent talks between President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a completely new portfolio of joint investment projects was formed, the total value of which reaches 1.5 billion dollars. For comparison, the current volume of implemented investment projects between the countries is only 500 million dollars. Thus, this new portfolio opens up prospects for a significant expansion of cooperation. This is especially evident after the Hungarian operator Inpark took over a special industrial zone in the Tashkent region, which will serve as a site for European production facilities.

He and Slovenian President Natasha Pirts Musar agreed to increase trade turnover to 500 million euros, mainly through the expansion of the product range and import substitution. Uzbekistan will supply textiles, fruit and vegetable products, fertilizers and copper products, while Slovenia will supply medicines, technologies and equipment. Uzbekistan is also interested in using the Slovenian port of Koper to bring Uzbek goods to the EU market.

Slovakia, in turn, can become an important hub for Uzbek exports within the framework of the Trans-Caspian route and the Global Gateway initiative. Both countries are interested in developing transport and logistics cooperation.

The current visit of Prime Minister Robert Fico to Tashkent, as noted by Shavkat Mirziyoyev, “opens a qualitatively new stage in the history of Uzbek-Slovak multifaceted relations.” The leaders agreed to increase trade and launch major joint projects in the agricultural sector, localization of automotive components, tourism and pharmaceuticals.

Slovak companies see Uzbekistan as a promising market for localization of production, which opens up opportunities for further entry into the CIS markets. In turn, Uzbek manufacturers are interested in gaining access to advanced technological solutions and investments from Slovakia.

Currently, about 20 enterprises with Slovak capital are successfully operating in Uzbekistan, four of which are fully Slovak. Recall that on May 5, 2025, the first meeting of the formed Uzbek-Slovak Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation was held in Tashkent.

Cooperation in the field of digital technologies and startup investments is considered promising. The parties intend to create a joint venture fund to support and accelerate IT startups. It is also proposed to make extensive use of available financial instruments to support joint projects.

Recently, a new area of cooperation has been added between Uzbekistan and Slovakia – the field of labor migration. The Slovak side expressed interest in establishing systematic cooperation in this area. The first negotiations took place on March 3-6, 2025. The delegation of the Migration Agency of Uzbekistan visited Slovakia, where it signed a cooperation agreement with recruitment companies.

In the humanitarian field, an agreement has been reached to launch joint research programs, including with the participation of Comenius University in Bratislava.

Following the talks, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister Robert Fico signed a joint declaration on establishing strategic partnership relations and a number of agreements in agriculture, energy, diplomacy and other fields, the Doone news agency reported. A comprehensive roadmap for the effective implementation of joint projects is also being prepared for signing.

An Uzbek-Slovak business forum was held simultaneously with the high-level talks, the resource reported. gazeta.uz . Robert Simoncic, Director General of the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO), stated the high interest of Slovak companies in Uzbekistan and the need to expand economic partnership. According to Simoncic, the delegation includes 25 companies interested in cooperation with Uzbekistan. “Some of them are already working here, have reliable partners, and we hope that we will be able to develop this cooperation and attract even more companies,” he added. According to him, despite the fact that trade volumes are still low, last year the trade turnover increased by 50%, which indicates a significant untapped potential. “I think we are moving in the right direction, but we still have a lot of work to do to build strong ties,” Simoncic stressed.

The head of SARIO noted the importance of diversifying foreign economic relations: “Slovakia is deeply integrated into the EU economy, with about 80% of exports going to EU countries. However, strengthening our partnership with Uzbekistan can help us achieve this goal.”

Shokhrukh Gulamov, Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade, said that the experience of Slovak companies in such areas as automotive, metallurgy, infrastructure, agriculture, food production and energy is important for accelerating the economic transformation of Uzbekistan. “This partnership not only promotes sustainable growth, but also creates long-term investment opportunities and strengthens bilateral cooperation. The potential for expanding economic cooperation is very great. We can and should further develop our cooperation and open up new horizons for joint growth,” he said.