Italian President Sergio Mattarella Visits Uzbekistan

For Italy and the entire European Union, “Central Asia represents a key territory,” with which Western countries want to build a secure and mutually beneficial partnership. During his state visit to Uzbekistan, Italian President Sergio Mattarella emphasized that Rome is ready to commit to “strengthening and expanding” relations with Uzbekistan, supporting the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with the EU. In addition, Italy will support Uzbekistan’s request to join the World Trade Organization.

Mattarella said this during negotiations with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, when they held an “intensive and detailed” discussion of various issues at the center of the bilateral and international agenda. The Italian president condemned the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, which Mattarella called “an insult to humanity.” At the same time, according to Mattarella, “military actions (of Israel – ed.) must take into account civilian casualties, but Hamas’s deliberate actions to attack defenseless civilians cannot be placed on the same level.” Finally, at the international level, Mattarella and Mirziyoyev discussed the situation in Afghanistan, which has 144 kilometers of common border with Uzbekistan. Normalization of relations with Kabul and the Taliban government is considered by Uzbekistan as a fundamental issue for both national security and the security of entire Central Asia.

As a result of the negotiations, Mattarella and Mirziyoyev signed a number of agreements and memorandums of understanding in the areas of diplomacy – holders of diplomatic passports will be exempt from the need to obtain entry visas to their countries, technological cooperation, innovation, cultural exchanges, education, and sports, designed to strengthen the foundations of the strategic partnership between the two countries, which started in July on the occasion of Mirziyoyev’s visit to Italy. “The strategic partnership agreement between Italy and Uzbekistan,” Mattarella said in a speech delivered at the end of the meeting at the Tashkent branch headquarters of the Polytechnic University of Turin, “is based on a mutual commitment to democratic values, respect for human rights, and fundamental freedoms.”

Rome and Tashkent, the Italian President emphasized, “are united by a deep connection, the roots of which lie in the customs of contacts and exchanges that Central Asia and Europe had on the ancient trade routes that crossed the Eurasian continent. Caravans traveling across the vast expanses of Central Asia did not just exchange goods, but contributed to the spread of knowledge.”

As for economic cooperation between Italy and Uzbekistan, it was said that in 2022, trade turnover between the two countries increased by 30%, and investments in the implementation of numerous joint projects increased to 9 billion euros. In 2022, trade turnover between Italy and Uzbekistan was estimated at 381.1 million dollars, and in the first four months of 2023 (according to the latest data), it reached 157.5 million. To give further impetus to the development of economic ties, it was decided to begin the creation of a special commercial assistance program for Italian and Uzbek companies.

In this context, the opening of the headquarters of Confindustria Uzbekistan in Tashkent was announced. To enable business representatives of the two countries to establish direct contacts, it was decided to organize an Uzbek-Italian economic forum in Samarkand in 2024, where Mattarella will go on Sunday, November 12, with some cultural commitments. This initiative will follow the path already paved with great success by the Italian non-profit association Conoscere Eurasia, which organized the 16th Eurasian Economic Forum in Samarkand.