Astana, May 31, 2025 – The Europe Today: President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in the high-level “Central Asia – Italy” summit held in Astana, Kazakhstan. The event was chaired by President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and brought together Prime Minister of the Italian Republic Giorgia Meloni, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, and President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov.
The summit focused on strengthening multifaceted cooperation between Central Asian countries and Italy, with particular emphasis on investment, technological collaboration, green economy initiatives, and the implementation of educational and cultural programs.
In his address, President Mirziyoyev noted that Uzbekistan views the summit as a continuation of the strategic partnership agreements reached between Central Asia and Europe during the April summit in Samarkand. He underlined the importance of fostering productive and practical cooperation by leveraging the technological, industrial, and intellectual capacities of the participating nations.
President Mirziyoyev stressed the growing relevance of dialogue with Italy in light of shifting global and regional political dynamics, increasing shared security challenges, and the steady advancement of cooperative efforts. He also highlighted the historical foundation of trade and cultural ties between Central Asia and Italy, which underpins the formation of a modern, comprehensive partnership.
Outlining priorities for cooperation under the “Central Asia – Italy” format, the Uzbek leader proposed the continuation of regular contacts between foreign affairs ministries to harmonize approaches on pressing international issues. He also called for the establishment of operational mechanisms for multilateral cooperation and information sharing between relevant agencies to jointly combat terrorism, extremism, radicalism, drug trafficking, and illegal migration.
In the economic sphere, President Mirziyoyev noted a threefold increase in trade and investment volumes between Uzbekistan and Italy in recent years. He highlighted the successful implementation of technological cooperation projects with leading Italian firms and suggested creating a “Central Asia – Italy” Business Club under the auspices of national chambers of commerce and industry. This permanent platform would serve to strengthen business ties through annual meetings involving entrepreneurs from both sides, hosted in regional and Italian capitals.
The President further proposed the development of a Comprehensive Multilateral Industrial and Technological Cooperation Program aimed at fostering technology transfer, the adoption of best practices, and the establishment of high-tech industries. Key areas for collaboration include the deep processing of mineral and agricultural resources, the production of modern industrial equipment, and the localization of industrial components, along with the creation of joint design centers with renowned Italian brands.
It was announced that a special industrial park managed by a European operator is being established in the Tashkent region to host regional-scale projects. In this context, the President emphasized the importance of engaging Italian state agencies such as SACE and SIMEST, as well as joint investment funds, to support future initiatives.
Acknowledging the strong partnership with Italy in the field of green transformation, President Mirziyoyev advocated for the creation of a multilateral platform to promote the implementation of national decarbonization strategies. Uzbekistan reaffirmed its readiness to participate in renewable energy projects, export green energy to EU countries, enhance enterprise energy efficiency, modernize water infrastructure, and develop hydrogen technology in collaboration with leading Italian firms.
The President also praised the contributions of Italian higher education institutions, including the branches of Turin Polytechnic University and the University of Pisa in Tashkent, and welcomed the interest of other Italian universities in establishing a regional presence. In this regard, he proposed the formation of a “Central Asia – Italy” Scientific and Educational Consortium to fund research, facilitate academic exchanges, and promote workforce training in critical areas such as engineering, biotechnology, water-saving technologies, and design.
To boost cultural and tourism collaboration, President Mirziyoyev suggested launching a tourism alliance and expressed appreciation for the strong public interest in recent exhibitions and cultural events held in Rome and Florence. He proposed organizing a Youth Forum on the Creative Economy and Cultural Exchange in Khiva next year to deepen ties between young professionals and creatives from both regions.
The summit concluded with addresses by the heads of Central Asian states and the Prime Minister of Italy. A Joint Statement was adopted at the end of the event, reaffirming the shared commitment to advancing partnership and sustainable development across the Central Asia–Italy corridor.
