Kazakhstan hosts 1st Central Asia-Italy summit in Astana

By Alperen Aktas

ASTANA (AA) – The first Central Asia-Italy summit began Friday in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana with the participation of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, joined by leaders of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan.

Held at the Palace of Independence, the high-level summit brought together Central Asian leaders and Meloni to explore deeper economic and strategic cooperation, with a particular focus on connectivity, investment, and trade.

“Opening of trading houses and logistics centers could give a significant impetus to the expansion of trade between our countries,” Tokayev said at the summit, proposing the establishment of an Italian trading house in Almaty and launching a “B5+Italy” dialogue format to enhance business engagement.

The proposed B5+Italy format aims to establish a regular dialogue between Italy and the five Central Asian countries to boost economic and business cooperation, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan.

The summit follows months of intensified diplomatic engagement between Kazakhstan and Italy.

In January 2023, Tokayev visited Rome and met with President Sergio Mattarella. A follow-up visit by Mattarella to Astana in March 2024 underscored the growing strategic alignment between the two nations.

Bilateral trade with Italy reached $1.3 billion in 2024, with Italian exports ranging from pharmaceuticals and machinery to precious metal goods.

Italian investments in Kazakhstan total over $15 billion since 1992, and around 300 Italian companies currently operate in the country.

The leaders adopted a joint statement on expanding the strategic partnership and signed several agreements aimed at boosting cooperation across industries.