Italy-Uzbekistan, agreements for over 3 billion in investments. Why Italy is increasingly looking to Central Asia

From mining to culture to the environment. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's official visit to Uzbekistan culminates with the signing of a series of agreements that mark a step forward in strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries. In Samarkand, at a meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, several protocols and intergovernmental agreements were signed, ranging from economic and environmental issues to academic, cultural, and energy cooperation. Italy and Uzbekistan signed agreements that envisage total investments of over 3 billion. The joint declaration provides, among other things, for strategic dialogue and a joint economic commission.

Giorgia Meloni's first visit to Central Asia has begun in Uzbekistan. A 'strategic' mission to forge even closer relations with an area that is historically a 'natural bridge' between West and East. Understandings from energy to critical raw materials, as well as trade agreements, will be on the table during a three-day trip that will also take the Prime Minister to Astana (at the beginning of March, the visit of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, who had also been to Uzbekistan in 2023), where the first meeting at leader level between Italy and Central Asia will also be held.

In the Uzbek city, the premier will stay less than 24 hours, just enough time for a bilateral with the president of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, with whom she will strengthen the strategic partnership with a joint declaration that will also focus on industry, the environment, water resources, agriculture, connectivity and infrastructure. But also migrants, defence and security. There are many Russians in the city, and they are the main economic interlocutors in the area, including in Kazakhstan, along with China.

Italy, however, already ranks third among trade partners in Astana, the second stop on Meloni's mission, which will also see the presence of several companies (from Cdp to Sace and Simest, Ice, Ansaldo and Maire, a group specialising in energy transition technologies). In the Kazakh capital Meloni will have a packed agenda, concentrated on Friday: firstly, a speech at the annual International Forum ('Connecting Minds, Shaping the Future' is this year's theme), then a bilateral with the president of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, which will close with a joint statement on the Strategic Partnership and the signing, on the sidelines, of agreements again focused on infrastructure, energy, critical raw materials, and small and medium-sized enterprises.

The premier will also see the presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Sadir Japarov, Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, and Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedow. With them, she will then join the Presidents of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan at the Italy-Central Asia Summit, an occasion to adopt a joint statement on the main directions of regional cooperation: energy, critical raw materials, sustainable management of water resources, security (with particular reference to the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking), connectivity, economic, academic and training cooperation.