Italian ambassador sees €4 billion trade potential with Uzbekistan, urges more investment

Education links are already developing. Branches of the Polytechnic University of Turin and the University of Pisa operate in Tashkent, and at least three more Italian universities are preparing to establish a presence in Tashkent and Samarkand. Planned initiatives include programs in law and medicine.

Italy welcomes around 300–400 Uzbek students each year. Many return home after completing their studies, bringing specialized knowledge and qualifications with them. Their familiarity with Italian language and culture can also make it easier for companies and institutions from the two countries to work together, De Sanctis said.

He also identified pharmaceuticals, tourism, consumer goods and electronics as sectors with room to expand. Direct flights are opening up further opportunities for tourism and business, while Uzbek manufacturers are already using Italian machinery.

A bigger embassy and closer cultural ties

The ambassador wants Italy to increase its diplomatic presence in Uzbekistan to keep pace with the growing relationship. The Italian Embassy in Tashkent has operated since 1992 without expanding, and De Sanctis said he was working to persuade colleagues in Rome that it needed more capacity.

Cultural cooperation is another priority. De Sanctis believes Tashkent should have an Italian Cultural Institute, which would promote Italian language and culture. The institute responsible for Uzbekistan is currently based in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

He said many Uzbeks he had met were familiar with Italian culture, including opera, and that a permanent institution in Tashkent could help build on that interest.

De Sanctis also sees scope for closer cooperation across Central Asia. He praised regional dialogue on shared water resources, noting that Italy is involved in building a major dam in Tajikistan, a project with implications for Uzbekistan and other countries downstream.

For the ambassador, stronger commercial ties ultimately depend on more Italian entrepreneurs and university professors establishing themselves in Uzbekistan. A larger Italian community would help businesses build local networks, but attracting investors requires confidence that their investments will not be exposed to unexpected risks.

De Sanctis described Tashkent as a modern, energetic city with a distinctive blend of European and Asian influences. He hopes his posting will help turn the growing political relationship between Italy and Uzbekistan into a more substantial economic and cultural partnership.

The €3–4 billion trade target remains an ambition rather than a forecast with a set timetable. But De Sanctis believes the scope for cooperation is broad enough that the current level of trade represents only the beginning.