Uzbekistan and Italy are taking steps to further strengthen their strategic partnership following high-level talks held in Tashkent.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during her brief stop in the Uzbek capital to assess progress and outline new priorities for bilateral cooperation, The Caspian Post reports, citing Uzbek media.
The discussions focused on practical measures to expand ties, with both sides welcoming the steady implementation of agreements reached at their previous meeting in Samarkand in May 2025. Officials noted that bilateral contacts remain active at all levels, as trade turnover continues to grow and the number of joint ventures increases.
Economic cooperation is gaining traction through major industrial projects involving Italian companies such as Finopera, ANCI, Pietro Fiorentini, and Danieli. Interregional cooperation is also expanding, particularly with Italy’s Lombardy region, while quotas have been allocated to support the organized labor migration of Uzbek citizens.
Education and diplomacy featured prominently in the talks. A branch of Italy’s Tuscia University opened in Samarkand at the end of 2025, and this year is set to include strategic dialogue sessions between the two foreign ministries, meetings of the intergovernmental commission, and the second Rectors’ Forum.
Special emphasis was placed on launching joint projects in textiles, geology, energy, chemistry, construction materials, and the financial sector. The sides also agreed to step up cultural exchanges, including Days of Uzbek and Italian cinema, applied arts exhibitions in Milan, and Uzbekistan’s participation in the upcoming Venice Biennale.
The meeting concluded with an exchange of views on regional and global issues. President Mirziyoyev invited Prime Minister Meloni to make a separate official visit to Uzbekistan, signaling sustained momentum in bilateral relations.
