The President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and the President of the Republic of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, engaged in bilateral talks at the "Koksaroy" residence. The meeting marked a crucial event in the ongoing development of relations between the two nations.
President Mirziyoyev warmly welcomed President Mattarella, expressing gratitude for the visit and highlighting its importance in strengthening bilateral ties. The Italian delegation was acknowledged for their role in fostering international cooperation.
President Mattarella, in turn, thanked Uzbekistan for the invitation and praised the nation's commitment to irreversible reforms, emphasizing the positive efforts to ensure stability and enhance integration in Central Asia.
The discussions revolved around the expansion of bilateral strategic partnerships and multilateral relations, focusing on priority areas. Both leaders emphasized the importance of active dialogue between parliaments and foreign political bodies, agreeing to hold the first meeting of the Strategic Dialogue at the level of heads of foreign political agencies in the coming year.
The leaders discussed the successful implementation of agreements made during President Mirziyoyev's official visit to Italy in June of the same year. Economic cooperation, in particular, saw a significant boost with a 30% increase in the exchange of goods last year, amounting to a portfolio of joint projects totaling €9bn.
To further enhance trade relations, the leaders proposed the development of a comprehensive Trade Assistance Program. The collaboration with leading Italian companies in sectors such as metallurgy, energy, electrical engineering, and agriculture was highlighted, expressing Uzbekistan's interest in involving advanced and high-tech Italian companies in national economy modernization projects.
The establishment of the "Konfindustriya Uzbekistan" industrialist association in Tashkent was applauded as a positive step to deepen industrial cooperation. Plans were made to propose new directions and projects of localization within the framework of the intergovernmental group.
Italy expressed its support for Uzbekistan's early entry into the World Trade Organization and the adoption of the Extended Partnership Agreement with the European Union.
Recognizing the importance of promoting direct relations between the regions of both countries, it was proposed to establish a forum of Uzbekistan and Italian regions, with the first meeting scheduled to be held in Samarkand next year.
Cultural and humanitarian cooperation also took center stage, with discussions on the establishment of an Italian center for the transfer of advanced technologies based on the Turin Polytechnic University branch in Tashkent. The growing interest in learning the Italian language in Uzbekistan was acknowledged, with plans to train Italian language teachers and gradually introduce its teaching in Uzbek schools.
The leaders discussed joint art exhibitions, and the organization of cultural, cinema, and tourism events between the two nations. The collaborative archeological research conducted by the Samarkand Institute of Archeology and Italian universities was highly appreciated.
The heads of state underlined the importance of expanding academic exchanges, leading to an agreement to hold a joint Education Forum. In addition to these discussions, the leaders exchanged views on current international and regional issues, and common security threats, and pledged to continue cooperation in combating these challenges.
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