On April 29, 2026, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Andrej Babiš, arrived in Uzbekistan for an official visit. The Czech Republic holds a prominent position among Uzbekistan’s partners in Central Europe. The two sides are intensively developing ties in investment, transport, trade, healthcare, education, innovation, and agriculture. By the end of 2025, bilateral trade turnover reached $189.7 million, a threefold increase compared to 2018.
Today, more than 40 companies with Czech capital operate in Uzbekistan, and this number continues to grow. A clear example of the high interest from Czech business is Škoda Group's intention to launch a joint venture in Uzbekistan for the local assembly and maintenance of railway rolling stock, as well as to establish the Škoda Academy to train specialized professionals.
Contacts with Czech pharmaceutical companies are also gaining a sustainable character. Currently, Czech medications and modern medical equipment are widely represented on the Uzbek market.
The academic partnership has deep roots; as early as 2003, Termez State University and Charles University launched a joint archaeological expedition in the Surkhandarya region. Unique finds gathered over years of research were showcased in the exhibition "From Zarathustra to Genghis Khan," held in Tashkent in April 2023 during the visit of Prime Minister P. Fiala.
Furthermore, the Tashkent Medical Academy and several other Uzbek universities are implementing joint programs with Charles University, Comenius University, the Czech University of Life Sciences, and Mendel University. The number of Uzbek students studying in the Czech Republic is steadily increasing. Today, approximately 3,000 citizens of Uzbekistan are employed in the Czech Republic within the industrial, construction, trade, and service sectors.
During the negotiations held on April 30, the leaders of Uzbekistan and the Czech Republic agreed to:
- Increase trade turnover to $1 billion;
- Prepare a program for technological cooperation, including geology and critical raw materials;
- Work toward resuming direct air service between the twocapitals.
A signing ceremony for bilateral agreements also took place, covering economic, industrial, scientific, and technological cooperation, the training of diplomatic personnel, joint design and support for a metrological laboratory, scientific and innovative cooperation in metrology, geology, and the supply of electric trains.
The visit of Andrej Babiš clearly demonstrated the mutual interest of both parties in deepening their partnership, expanding investment and technological exchange, and strengthening long-term, sustainable ties between Uzbekistan and the Czech Republic.