The premier's mission

Meloni: Central Asia is strategic. 4 billion euro agreement between Italy and Kazakhstan

Council President: 'Difficult times, Central Asia bridge to the West'

30 May 2025

La presidente del Consiglio Giorgia Meloni con il presidente della Repubblica del Kazakistan, Qasym-Jomart Tokayev. ANSA/UFFICIO STAMPA PALAZZO CHIGI/FILIPPO ATTILI

3' min read

Between Italy and Central Asia there is a "strategic cooperation on many issues" and it is "a historic moment in our relations". These were the words of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaking at the Astana International forum, the second stage of her mission to Central Asia, emphasising that Italy was "the first nation in the EU to decide to invest in relations with Central Asia and its countries" and "our example led the way for the first EU-Central Asia summit that elevated relations to a strategic partnership. We are proud of this choice: building bridges by exploring paths that others have not had the courage to explore is in the DNA of Italians, it is the legacy of Marco Polo'. 'It is,' he added, 'a decisive moment to intensify relations to make them more lasting and strategic'.

€4 billion agreement between Italy and Kazakhstan

In the joint statement signed by Giorgia Meloni and Kazakh President Qasym-Jomart Toqaev on the occasion of the premier's visit to Astana, 'agreements worth more than EUR 4 billion' between Italy and Kazakhstan are announced. "Key sectors of cooperation include the oil and gas sector, energy (including renewable and green energy), water management, mechanical engineering, and the agro-industrial complex." Agreement was also reached on long-term cooperation in the field of critical raw materials. Support for the 'diversification of the structure of mutual trade' and the 'development of small and medium-sized enterprises'.

"Difficult times, Central Asia bridge to the West"

"One of the fathers of modern geopolitics, Halford Mackinder, argued that Central Asia represents one of the hinges around which the fate of the world revolves. I am not a geopolitical scholar, but I observe the reality," said the premier Astana International forum "that this region has always been a crossroads between the West and the East, and occupies a strategic role in the global scenario. Moreover, in difficult times like the ones we are experiencing, Central Asia has always been a bridge.

She emphasised that 'the transformations and changes that this part of the planet has gone through over the centuries have made it what it is today: between two continents, a point of contact between Europe and Asia, a junction between worlds that were once very distant and which today are more interconnected than ever'. "And I know what that means. I say this as an Italian, as the daughter of a nation that occupies a central position between Europe and Africa, at the heart of that global Mediterranean whose relevance goes far beyond its geographical space. I believe, therefore, that there is no better place than this to reflect on the connections that unite us and those that we can build, without fear of going beyond the patterns to which we have been accustomed'.

With Central Asia we cooperate on energy and raw materials

"If we really want to shape the future, we must have the courage to look beyond our geographical boundaries and chart new paths. Starting, of course, with what already unites us and makes our relationship extremely strong. I am thinking of the energy sector, where our cooperation can help to make a difference, both in the more traditional and in the more innovative sectors, in line with that principle of technological neutrality that we are committed to affirming in order to guarantee sustainable economic and social systems,' Meloni said in his speech, also mentioning 'critical raw materials, where our collaboration aims to generate shared benefits and reciprocal opportunities'. "I am not forgetting," he added, "the environmental challenges, such as the one that sees us at the forefront of efforts to regenerate the Aral Sea, a heritage that it is our task and duty to protect. The Italian Climate Fund is an important tool that we would like to exploit even more to strengthen further joint projects. Our interconnections also look at digital and physical infrastructure, of which the Middle Corridor is probably the most promising and fascinating challenge. We firmly believe in strengthening this project, which is at the heart of the strategic partnership initiated with the EU in Samarkand and can make a significant contribution to the security and stability of the supply chain, both to and from Europe'.