Uzbekistan and Hungary Discuss Digitalization of the Judicial System and Development of Mediation

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — During an official visit to Budapest, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Justice, Akbar Tashkulov, held a series of meetings with representatives of Hungarian justice and legal institutions.

A key meeting took place with Hungary’s Minister of Justice, Bence Tuzson, during which the parties discussed the current state and prospects of bilateral cooperation in the field of justice.

Akbar Tashkulov emphasized that in recent years, Uzbekistan has been implementing large-scale reforms aimed at digitalizing legal processes, improving the quality of legislative acts, and strengthening the rule of law.

In particular, the national legislative database Lex.uz has been integrated with state information systems, providing a mechanism for “smart legal awareness.” Additionally, the LexAI platform, which uses artificial intelligence technologies, has been introduced.

The parties discussed the digitalization of the notary system, the development of free legal aid, the assessment of legislative acts, and the introduction of “regulatory guillotine” tools to simplify legal norms.

During the visit, the Minister of Justice of Uzbekistan also met with György Szényei, President of Hungary’s National Judicial Office.

Akbar Tashkulov provided a detailed overview of key judicial reforms aimed at digitalizing court proceedings and ensuring fair trials, with particular emphasis on developing the institution of mediation as an effective mechanism for alternative dispute resolution.

According to him, Uzbekistan currently has more than 3,000 mediators, with the regulatory framework for their activities being gradually improved, professional standards for specialists strengthened, and mechanisms for enforcing mediated agreements becoming more reliable.

The parties agreed to develop practical cooperation through experience sharing, joint events, and educational programs.

Special attention was given to cooperation in the field of intellectual property. During a bilateral meeting with Sabolcza Farkas, President of the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office, the current state and prospects for collaboration between the two countries were discussed.

Akbar Tashkulov noted that ongoing reforms in Uzbekistan have modernized the intellectual property system, doubling the number of registered objects in recent years, and fully aligning national legislation with the requirements of the WTO TRIPS Agreement.

Discussions also addressed legal protection of geographical indications, development of regional brands, and combating counterfeit products.

Following the meetings, a cooperation program was signed between the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office for 2026–2027, providing for experience exchange, joint educational initiatives, and expanded practical collaboration in the field of intellectual property.