In the room where I am about to meet Ján Bóry, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, there are three flags — those of Slovakia, the European Union, and Uzbekistan — along with several tables. I choose a small round one. The ambassador’s secretary offers me coffee, tea, or water. I choose water, but I barely have time to touch the glass before Mr. Bóry appears, apologizing for having a cold. During the interview, I promise not to take too much of his time.
Yep.uz: First of all, thank you very much for agreeing to meet with me, Mr. Ambassador. Let me go straight to the questions. As of February 1 this year, Slovak citizens can travel to Uzbekistan without obtaining an entry visa. (Uzbekistan has also abolished entry visas for citizens of 45 other countries.) How many Slovak tourists have visited Uzbekistan since the beginning of February?
Ján Bóry: I am very pleased with this decision. At the same time, I cannot say exactly who comes from Slovakia to Uzbekistan, when they arrive, or how many there are, including tourists. We only know about those who contact us directly. There have been several such people this month. However, I assume that the number of Slovak tourists visiting Uzbekistan has been increasing in recent years.
Of course, Slovakia is not a very large country — it has a population of only 5.4 million. On the other hand, Central Asia is quite far away from us and there are no direct flights. However, last summer, when I was at home in Bratislava, I received a delegation from Tashkent Dentistry (the Tashkent Dental Institute — Yep.uz) of the Ministry of Health. After dinner, while we were walking through the city, a Slovak travel company was gathering people in front of a theater and promoting Uzbekistan as a new destination based on its experience of organizing the first tour of Slovak visitors to the country.
Among the reforms and positive changes that have been taking place in Uzbekistan for nearly two years are developments related to tourism and infrastructure. Last summer, Slovak citizens gained the opportunity to obtain electronic visas, which significantly simplified procedures. There is no Uzbek embassy or consulate in Slovakia, so previously people had to travel abroad to obtain an entry visa. The introduction of a visa-free regime for Slovakia and a group of other countries from February 1 this year, which is already in force, will hopefully encourage even more tourism growth.
Certainly, more people have come here than we know about, but the number is still relatively small because it is not the tourist season. I am convinced that there will be more visitors during the season.
Yep.uz: When exactly?
Ján Bóry: After the end of winter. Right now, people traveling abroad generally choose one of two directions. The first is good skiing destinations where they can enjoy winter sports, excellent infrastructure, and entertainment. The second is related to the fact that Slovakia does not even have a disappearing sea like your Aral Sea. Therefore, many people travel to tropical and subtropical coastal destinations — provided they can afford it.
For us, the closest beach destinations are Tunisia and Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt. More distant destinations include the Caribbean, Cuba, Central American countries, the Indian Ocean region, Thailand, India, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and the Persian Gulf. Some of these countries even have direct flights from Slovakia.
I recently learned from the Slovak press that Uzbekistan’s tourism potential was presented at a tourism fair held in Slovakia this January with the assistance of Uzbekistan’s Honorary Consul in Slovakia, the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Vienna, and the Slovak tour company Bubo Travel. This fair is a very important platform where tour operators can meet and exchange information.
I hope that more Slovak tourists will come here, but I would also like to see more Uzbek tourists visit Slovakia, which is also a very interesting country.
Yep.uz: Forgive me for insisting, but are there any figures showing how many Slovaks come here each month or year?
Ján Bóry: I do not want to be overly critical, but when I was registering at a hotel in Samarkand, their check-in/check-out computer system did not even include Slovakia among the countries listed. After that, I requested statistics from the Tourism Committee, and the numbers they provided were lower than the number of people whom I had personally invited and who came through me. So I cannot give an exact figure, but perhaps somewhere between several hundred and over one thousand per year.
Yep.uz: Per year?
Ján Bóry: Yes, per year.
When I was Ambassador to Libya and concurrently accredited to Tunisia, I was shown statistics indicating that, among the countries of Eastern and Central Europe, Slovaks had one of the highest rates of tourism abroad per capita, second only to the Czechs. And as for the Czechs — I hope my Czech colleagues will not be offended — you can meet a Czech almost anywhere in the world, even though their country is not very large either. This is connected with the positive macroeconomic changes Slovakia has experienced in recent years.
Yep.uz: Do Slovak tourists come to Uzbekistan independently or through organized tours?
Ján Bóry: Some travel independently. Others come through several tour operators. I assume Slovak companies have Uzbek partners here. For example, the Slovak travel company Bubo Travel has been organizing adventure tours to Uzbekistan for several years.
Last year, I researched this issue a little and found four companies offering tours. There are no direct flights between Slovakia and Uzbekistan. However, Turkish Airlines operates flights several times a week from Košice to Istanbul, where passengers can connect onward. It is also very convenient to travel from Vienna, which is just over 50 kilometers from Bratislava. At one time, there was even a tram connecting the two cities. From Vienna, travelers can fly to Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport and then transfer to Uzbekistan Airways.
Yep.uz: Excellent. And when will Uzbek tourists be able to travel to Slovakia without visas?
Ján Bóry: That is a question my colleagues from other European countries would probably struggle to answer as well. As members of the Schengen Area, we cannot have one country granting visa-free access while another does not. That day will come when people entering the European Union or the Schengen Area are no longer considered a potential risk.
Yep.uz: What kind of risk? Do you mean employment?
Ján Bóry: Some people use visas for purposes other than those stated in their Schengen visa applications. When that practice disappears, visa-free travel will become possible.
I am not referring only to employment. Over the past two or three years, Slovakia has become a country that needs labor. However, everything must be organized. Licensed Uzbek recruitment agencies should establish cooperation with Slovak institutions. By 2023, we were expected to need up to 200,000 foreign workers. For a small country, that is a large number.
Yep.uz: Very large.
Ján Bóry: Two or three years ago we had high unemployment, but now we are experiencing strong economic growth. In addition, we need workers because of an aging population and low birth rates. But everything must be legal and properly organized.
Yep.uz: How many Uzbek tourists visit Slovakia today?
Ján Bóry: I cannot answer that specifically. On the one hand, we issue visas, but on the other hand, a person who receives a Schengen visa may travel to another country. Someone may fly to Austria and then continue to Slovakia. The nearest countries issuing Schengen visas are Hungary and the Czech Republic, and of course there are also the Italian and French embassies.
As for Slovakia specifically, it is difficult to determine. Tourists may stay in a hotel in Vienna and take a bus to Bratislava for the day, or vice versa.
A few years ago, we tried to estimate how many foreigners visit Slovakia by using roaming data from Slovak mobile operators. Those who bought Slovak SIM cards or did not use roaming were not counted. Even then, the figures suggested that at least six million people from around the world visited Slovakia annually, despite the country’s population being only 5.4 million.
Yep.uz: Can prospective Uzbek tourists obtain a Schengen visa at the Slovak Embassy in Tashkent?
Ján Bóry: They have the right to apply for a visa at the Embassy of Slovakia if they plan to spend more time in Slovakia than in any other Schengen member state, or if Slovakia will be their first point of entry into the Schengen Area. More detailed information about obtaining a Schengen visa through the Embassy of Slovakia is available on the embassy’s website under the “Consular Information” section.
Yep.uz: Can Uzbek tourists obtain an electronic visa?
Ján Bóry: No, they cannot. A Schengen visa requires the applicant’s personal presence when submitting documents and receiving the visa.
Yep.uz: You arrived in Uzbekistan last year. Which places have you already visited?
Ján Bóry: I arrived in Uzbekistan on December 28, 2017. Since then, I have visited Bukhara and Samarkand several times, traveled to Termez and Shahrisabz, visited Chimgan and Angren, driven to Kazakhstan through Chernyaevka, and traveled to Khujand and Dushanbe.
In the concluding part of our interview with Slovak Ambassador Ján Bóry, you will learn:
- how relations between Slovakia and Uzbekistan are developing;
- what opportunities may open up for Uzbek students and businesses;
- and what the ambassador personally considers his most important diplomatic achievement.