The summit was also attended by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, and President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov.
The sides focused on expanding multifaceted cooperation between the countries of Central Asia and Italy, with special attention given to partnerships in investment, technology, green economy, and the implementation of educational and cultural initiatives.
In his opening remarks, President Mirziyoyev emphasized that Uzbekistan views the summit in the context of the strategic partnership agreements reached during the April 2024 summit in Samarkand between Central Asia and the European Union.
He highlighted Uzbekistan’s intention to foster practical, results-oriented cooperation in this format, taking into account the technological, industrial, and intellectual potential of the participating nations.
President Mirziyoyev noted the growing relevance of a multilateral dialogue platform with Italy, especially in light of current global and regional political dynamics, as well as shared security and development challenges.
He pointed out that the centuries-old history of trade and cultural relations between Central Asia and Italy provides a solid foundation for comprehensive partnerships in this new phase.
Addressing the summit’s agenda, the President outlined Uzbekistan’s vision for key priorities in the “Central Asia – Italy” format.
He stressed the importance of maintaining regular contacts between foreign ministries to coordinate positions on major international issues. He also proposed launching working mechanisms for multilateral cooperation and information exchange among special services to combat terrorism, extremism, radicalism, drug trafficking, and illegal migration.
In the economic domain, President Mirziyoyev welcomed the threefold increase in trade and investment between Uzbekistan and Italy in recent years. He noted the successful implementation of technological cooperation projects with leading Italian firms.
