President Mirziyoyev meets Tuscany delegation, discusses trade, investment, and cultural ties

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has held talks with a delegation led by Eugenio Giani, Governor of Italy's Tuscany region, who arrived in Uzbekistan on a working visit.

Photo: Presidential press service

According to the presidential press service, the meeting focused on advancing the strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and Italy, with particular attention to trade, investment, and cultural and humanitarian cooperation. The two sides also discussed expanding ties between regions.

The parties welcomed the growing momentum in bilateral relations at all levels. Since the beginning of the year, trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Italy has increased by 25%, while joint projects involving leading Italian companies are being implemented in metallurgy, energy, agriculture, the chemical industry, and other sectors of the economy.

Mirziyoyev noted the long-standing historical and cultural links between Uzbekistan and Tuscany. During the era of the Silk Road, active trade connected Florence with the ancient cities of present-day Uzbekistan, while Florentine merchants and diplomats were received at the court of Amir Temur.

The president also highlighted the expansion of educational and cultural cooperation. The branch campus of the University of Pisa in Tashkent is graduating its first students this year, while the city of Prato hosts a trade house promoting Uzbek textile products. In 2024, the Uffizi Galleries in Florence staged an exhibition of Uzbek avant-garde art.

The meeting emphasized the strong potential for expanding cooperation with Tuscany in the textile, leather, food-processing, and jewelry industries, as well as in construction, education, culture, and tourism.

The two sides also welcomed the signing of a cooperation agreement between Tuscany and the Bukhara Region, describing it as an important step toward strengthening interregional partnership.

Following the talks, the parties agreed to prepare and adopt a joint roadmap outlining new projects and initiatives to deepen cooperation between Tuscany and Uzbekistan's regions.

Tuscany is one of Italy's most economically developed regions, with a strong industrial base, advanced manufacturing, modern agriculture, a globally recognized wine industry, and a well-developed tourism sector. Its capital, Florence, is widely regarded as the birthplace of the Renaissance and one of the world's leading cultural and artistic centers.