On June 8, Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the Italian President Sergio Mattarella held talks at the Quirinal Palace in Rome. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, thanking for the invitation and warm hospitality, congratulated the President Sergio Mattarella and the people of Italy on the national holiday - the Republic Day.

"Sergio Mattarella reiterated his support for irreversible reforms in Uzbekistan, highly valued the Uzbekistan’s efforts to ensure stability and prosperity in the Central Asian region," the press service said.

The two leaders reviewed the bilateral economic cooperation, with the two-way trade and the number of joint ventures doubled in recent years. Major Italian companies such as Pietro Fiorentini, Terra-nova, Danieli, Imagro, Ansaldo, Saipem and others are successfully operating in the country.

They also focused on the development of humanitarian ties and reached an agreement to hold an exhibition of the cultural and historical heritage of Uzbekistan in Italy. In addition, they discussed in detail prospects for cooperation in the field of education, archeology, and interaction in the field of environmental challenges.

Branches of the Universities of Turin and Pisa are successfully operating in Tashkent. For the third year in a row, Uzbekistan participates in the international biennale in Venice. Since the beginning of the year, the number of Italian tourists to the country has increased 5 times. The further growth of the tourist flow will be facilitated by the launch of direct flights between Tashkent and Milan from April this year.

The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and international issues, primarily the situation in Afghanistan and emphasized the importance of continuing targeted humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, as well as holding regular consultations of special representatives.

At the end of the meeting, Shavkat Mirziyoyev invited Sergio Mattarella to pay an official visit to Uzbekistan.