Presidents Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan and Sergio Mattarella of Italy held extended-format talks in Astana, following a substantive tete-a-tete discussion and subsequent meetings with their respective delegations.
President Tokayev highlighted the solid political dialogue, dynamic economic partnership, and vibrant cultural and humanitarian cooperation between the two countries. He acknowledged President Mattarella’s personal contribution to strengthening ties between Astana and Rome.
Recalling his official visit to Italy last year, Tokayev noted that several agreements were reached, giving new momentum to Kazakh-Italian cooperation.
“Italy remains one of Kazakhstan’s top three trading partners. Our economic cooperation is very dynamic and has tremendous potential for further growth. We welcome Italian plans to further increase its exports. Over the past 20 years, Italy has invested up to $7.6bn in our economy. Today, 250 Italian companies are successfully operating in Kazakhstan,” the Kazakh president said.
Tokayev outlined promising areas for cooperation, including critical raw materials, petrochemicals, mechanical engineering, transport and logistics, light industry, food processing, artificial intelligence, finance, tourism, and education.
The leaders also discussed active collaboration within the UN and other international organizations, citing the “Central Asia Plus” dialogue platform and the first “Central Asia – Italy” Summit held in Astana this May as key examples. The Kazakh side expressed appreciation for Rome’s support of these initiatives.
On cultural and humanitarian cooperation, Tokayev announced the decision to name a street in central Astana after Marco Polo, symbolizing the enduring friendship between Kazakhstan and Italy.
President Mattarella emphasized the importance of deepening the partnership and thanked Tokayev for his efforts in building trust and mutual understanding.
“It is a great honor for us to pay this visit. Your visit to Rome last year laid a solid foundation for the further strengthening of our relations. These steps make our partnership truly exceptional. Italy is opening its Cultural Center in Astana – the first in Central Asia. The initiative to name a street after Marco Polo reflects your commitment to further strengthening our ties,” Mattarella said.
The leaders concluded the talks expressing confidence that the official visit would mark a new chapter in the history of Kazakh-Italian relations.
