On 29 September 2020, President of the Kyrgyz Republic H.E. Sooronbai Zheenbekov and Prime Minister of Hungary H.E. Viktor Orbán visited the Representation (European) Office of the Turkic Council in Budapest.
Upon the arrival in the Representation Office, located at the Ybl Villa, President Sooronbai Zheenbekov and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán were welcomed by the Secretary General of the Turkic Council Baghdad Amreyev and Executive Director of the Representation Office Dr. János Hóvári.
The President of Kyrgyzstan, the Prime Minister of Hungary and the Secretary General of the Turkic Council held a meeting during which the Secretary General briefed the President and the Prime Minister about the set of activities and ongoing efforts to enhance cooperation on a wide array of areas within the framework of the current agenda of the Organization.
Noting the significance of the visit as a source of pride for being the first on the level of Heads of State and Government of the Turkic Council Member States to the Representation Office, the Secretary General underlined the Office’s special role in facilitating cooperation between Hungary, the Turkic Council, and international organizations in Europe.
The Secretary General stated that the visit once again reminds the symbolic moment when Hungary attained its observer status during the 6th Summit of the Turkic Council on the soil of Kyrgyzstan, on 3 September 2018.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán underlined that the Turkic World instituional presence in Europe is to develop its European dimension and expressed Hungary’s readiness to contribute further to the process.
President Sooronbai Zheenbekov emphasized that the opening of the Representation Office of the Turkic Council is of utmost importance and will enable to strengthen the multidimensional cooperation between the Turkic World and Europe. The President also expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for his endeavors for strengthening ties with the Turkic States, which he desribed as a strategic partnership.
The parties also exchanged views on processes and items that are of significance such as the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the establishment of the Joint Investment Fund and the upcoming Summit of the Turkic Council.
President Sooronbai Zheenbekov, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Secretary General Baghdad Amreyev also attended the opening ceremony of the photo exhibition dedicated to the world-renowned Kyrgyz writer Chingiz Aitmatov. The event was accompanied with a presentation by the eminent Turkologist Dr. Dávid Somfai Kara who outlined Aitmatov’s work and influence in shaping the modern literature in the Turkic World.
