On 30 May 2025, the first Central Asia + Italy Summit was held in Astana with the participation of Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic Giorgia Meloni.
The leaders exchanged views on the state and prospects of the cooperation between the Central Asian states and Italy, and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening their partnership based on shared values, mutual respect, and common interests.
They welcomed the steady growth of economic relations between Central Asia and Italy, confirming their mutual commitment to fostering economic ties, trade, and investment, as well as supporting the development of small and medium-sized enterprises.
The leaders agreed to take measures to expand cooperation in interrelated areas such as natural resources, climate and energy – including renewable energy (solar, wind, and hydropower), critical raw materials, agriculture, connectivity and critical infrastructure, including through the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.
They emphasized the importance of addressing environmental challenges such as the Aral Sea crisis, glacier melting and ensuring sustainable mountain development. They noted the significance of further cooperation on water issues, including by introducing energy efficient and resource-saving technologies, and in this regard welcomed the initiatives of holding high-level events on these issues. They welcomed Italy’s role in environmental initiatives in Central Asia, including pilot projects related to the Aral Sea crisis.
The leaders agreed to support cooperation and development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) as a reliable and efficient multimodal transport corridor between Central Asia and Europe, and to encourage the participation of Italian railway and logistics companies in transport, infrastructure, and consulting projects.
The leaders agreed to launch joint activities focused on exchange of knowledge and institutional cooperation in key sectors. These include: the proposal to convene a roundtable on water and hydropower dialogue in the Central Asia + Italy format by 2026 and one on energy cooperation in 2027, especially on advancing technologies for sustainable energy production and efficiency.
They also agreed to promote further contacts and welcomed the proposal of the Kyrgyz Republic to host the next Central Asia + Italy Summit in 2027, as well as to organize the Fourth Foreign Ministers’ Conference in the spring of 2026 in Italy.
Photo: akorda.kz
