On the evening of May 28, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrived in Samarkand, where she was personally welcomed at the airport by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan.
Later that evening, accompanied by President Mirziyoyev, Meloni visited the Registan Square and the “Eternal City” complex. She was introduced to Uzbekistan’s rich cultural heritage through exhibitions featuring traditional crafts and applied arts. The visit also included a cultural performance by local dance ensembles.
The formal welcoming ceremony took place on the morning of May 29 at the square in front of the Congress Center. A guard of honor was present, and military orchestras played the national anthems of both countries. The leaders reviewed the guard of honor and greeted members of the official delegations.
This was followed by face-to-face talks between President Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister Meloni, and a broader session involving official delegations. The discussions focused on further strengthening the bilateral strategic partnership and expanding multifaceted cooperation.
Both sides noted with satisfaction that the agreements reached during the high-level meetings held in Rome in June 2023 were being consistently implemented.
In recent years, the volume of trade between the two countries has nearly tripled, largely due to the diversification of goods exchanged. The number of joint ventures and projects has doubled. Italy’s leading companies have established mutually beneficial cooperation in sectors such as metallurgy, electrical engineering, agriculture, livestock, tourism, and more.
Uzbekistan actively participated in the Venice Biennale and held an exhibition in Florence. In December of last year, Uzbekistan Culture Days were held in Rome and Viareggio.
Branches of the Universities of Turin and Pisa are already operating successfully in Uzbekistan. The second forum of university rectors, held in April, was also deemed productive.
Both parties expressed support for continued political exchanges.
They reaffirmed their commitment to advancing cooperation with European Union institutions, in line with the outcomes of the successful summit held in Samarkand in April. Emphasis was placed on the importance of organizing a "Central Asia–Italy" summit to ensure practical results.
