The Heads of State and Government, among them Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, participating in the work of the Summit Meeting of the Organization of Turkic States in Samarkand, planted – in a festive ceremony – trees in the ancient Uzbek city. As a symbol of their bonds and simultaneously with Samarkand, trees were also planted in the capitals of the member countries of the OTS. In Budapest, in the garden of the Ybl villa, Péter Zambó, the state secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture responsible for forests and land, as well as the Ambassadors of the member countries of the OTS, accredited to Budapest, took part in the ceremony. The capitals of the OTS, as well as the Ybl villa, were connected through live television coverage with the venue of the Summit in Samarkand.
The trees, representing the member and observer states of the OTS, have been planted on Registan Square beside the old university buildings now functioning as museums in the center of the city which used to be flourishing as one of the hubs on the former Silk Road. In his remarks delivered before the planting ceremony, the host of the Summit, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, highly appreciated the cooperation in the framework of the Organization, also emphasized the importance of preserving the “invaluable Turkic heritage.” Addressing the Summit, Shavkat Mirziyoyev also stated that Samarkand is one of the centers of peace and security, as well as that of education and science.
In his address, Viktor Orbán spoke highly of the “fantastic development and dynamics,” demonstrated by the city in the past few years. The Prime Minister reminded of the fact that he has a good basis for the comparison, since a few years ago he had visited the Uzbek city which belongs to the World Heritage sites. Viktor Orbán also indicated that Hungary is pleased to participate in the initiatives that focus on young people that were put forward during the Summit. President Mirziyoyev proposed, to hold, among others, the “Youth Summit of the Turkic World.” In connection with this idea, several students from the Turkic countries, studying Hungary, also came to the Ybl villa.
In several member states of OTS, a large-scale program of forestation has been going on the goal of which is the protection of the environment. Uzbekistan is planning to plant millions of trees every year.
