Diplomatic relations between Uzbekistan and the Czech Republic were established on January 1, 1993. The first two decades saw limited engagement, but ties have intensified in recent years. Ahead of the expected official visit of Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš to Tashkent on April 29-30, an overview of bilateral cooperation has been prepared.
Political dialogue began in 1997 with a visit by Uzbekistan's first president, Islam Karimov, to the Czech Republic. Subsequent high-level exchanges occurred, but in 2014 Karimov canceled a planned trip to Prague amid human rights criticism. This reflected the constrained level of cooperation between Uzbekistan and the West at the time.
A new phase of activation began in 2023, when Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala visited Tashkent, and Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov made a return visit to Prague. In 2024, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský arrived in Uzbekistan, and in 2025, Presidents Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Petr Pavel met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Economic cooperation shows dynamic but uneven growth. In 2023, Uzbekistan Railways and Škoda signed a €320 million contract for 30 electric trains. Uzbekistan Airways agreed to purchase Czech LET L-410 turboprop aircraft for domestic flights.
There are 36 companies with Czech capital operating in Uzbekistan, 14 of which are fully foreign-owned. Škoda Transportation plans to assemble electric trains locally and open a Škoda Academy in Tashkent. The Czech Republic has also proposed cooperation in mining, water management, and defense industry.
Annually, the Czech Republic allocates a quota of 150 work visas for Uzbek citizens. About 3,000 Uzbeks work in the Czech Republic. In education, the number of Uzbek students has doubled from 350 in 2020 to 650-700 in 2025, supported by Czech state scholarship programs.
Scientific cooperation includes joint archaeological expeditions between Termez State University and Charles University, as well as geological research that identified high palladium content at the Kalmakyr deposit.
Source: www.gazeta.uz