Uzbeks and Italians Become Partnership Allies

The meeting between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev is rightfully named historic. Mirziyoyev is the first head of the Uzbek state to pay an official visit to Italy since 2000. This assignment has been in preparation for some time, particularly since the visit of Defense Minister Guido Crosetto to Tashkent, during which the two countries resumed relations at the strategic partnership level. The subject of the agreement is extensive: according to a joint statement released by the Italian authorities, there are many areas of cooperation to be exchanged. The President of Uzbekistan was at the Palazzo Chigi, as well as at the Quirinal with President Sergio Mattarella.

In fact, the strategic partnership establishes the openness of Uzbekistan for Western entrepreneurs, in particular, for Italian ones. This Central Asian country has achieved tremendous success on the way to internal democratization, as well as opening markets to foreign investors. It cut taxes on profits for foreign companies operating in Uzbekistan, simplified lending, and created a unified center to make the activities of entrepreneurs more flexible and easier. There are great opportunities for buying natural energy resources such as gas, gold, and copper. But also, to sell goods and services.

The chapters of the agreement signed in Rome touch on a wide range of areas, from military to infrastructure. And the pact is built into a very strong diplomatic international structure, which confirms “mutual commitment to the purposes and principles established in the Charter of the United Nations, the Helsinki Final Act, and other fundamental international legal documents that promote peace and security, human protection, law, and development of effective interstate cooperation in Europe and Asia.”

Here is the complete joint declaration on partnership between Italy and Uzbekistan.

Here is the official video of the visit by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the Palazzo Chigi.