The Samarkand Congress Center hosted one-on-one talks between the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and between the official delegations, the presidential press service said.
The parties discussed the ways to develop the bilateral strategic partnership relations and to expand cooperation and underscored the successful implementation of the agreements reached during the summit meetings in Rome in June 2023.
Trade turnover has grown almost threefold in recent years, with the number of joint ventures and projects doubling. Cooperation has been set up with major Italian companies in the fields of metallurgy, electrical engineering, agriculture, animal husbandry, tourism and other areas.
Uzbekistan delegation attended the Venice Biennale, an exhibition took place in Florence. In December last year, Days of Culture of Uzbekistan were held in Rome and Viareggio.
There are branches of the Turin and Pisa Universities in Uzbekistan, and the second Rectors' Forum was held in April.
The parties spoke in favor of continuing active political exchanges.
The parties emphasized the active cooperation with the institutions of the European Union, taking into account the summit in Samarkand in April and the importance of holding the Central Asia-Italy summit with a focus on practical results.
They reached an agreement to expand technical trade assistance programs for businesses. This includes training Uzbek exporters to enter the EU market, creating a joint certification center in Tashkent, and accelerating the adoption of an agreement on conformity assessment.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed launching of a Technology Partnership Program with major Italian companies. Innovative business projects, deep processing of critical minerals and agricultural raw materials, production of component base for the automotive industry, high-value added products in electrical engineering, energy, food, pharmaceutical, construction industries, creation of design centers for textile, leather, furniture and other industries have been identified as priorities.
Such projects are proposed to be hosted by the industrial park that is being set up in the Tashkent province under the management of a European operator.
To launch new mechanisms for supporting projects, the parties will consider creating a joint investment fund, as well as attracting the Italian state agencies SACE and SIMEST.
The leaders focused on the development of full-scale scientific and technological cooperation in agriculture based on a comprehensive "road map" and explored cooperation in growing grapes, olives, saffron, asparagus, creating agricultural laboratories, developing biotechnology and introducing agricultural insurance.
To promote new projects, the parties agreed to resume the intergovernmental group and hold its meeting with a business forum.
As part of expanding partnership relations between the provinces of Uzbekistan and Italy, the parties emphasized the importance of achieving practical results during the upcoming visit of the Governor of Lombardy Attilio Fontana and the first forum of provinces.
In the educational area, the leaders supported the launch of a branch of the University of Tuscia in Uzbekistan, double degree programs with the universities of Pisa, Trento, Roma Tre and Ca' Foscari.
An agreement was reached to hold Days of Italian Culture in Uzbekistan.
The parties commended the signing of an agreement on labor migration during the Italian PM’s visit, aimed at organizing systemic cooperation in this area.
Following the meeting, a decision was made to prepare a comprehensive "road map" for the implementation of the reached agreements.
