Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov today hosted an Italian delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Manlio Di Stefano, the Foreign Ministry said.
The parties exchanged views on the current state and the ways of expanding the Uzbek-Italian ties in political-diplomatic, trade, investment, cultural-humanitarian and other areas, as well as in Uzbekistan-European Union format and discussed some international and regional issues.
The sides also underscored the reciprocal interest in increasing bilateral trade, while in January-September, it surpassed US$ 206 million, which is by 20% more than in the whole of 2017.
The holding of the next meeting of the intergovernmental working group on trade, economic and industrial cooperation and export credits in early 2019 will make it possible to update the bilateral agenda.
The parties welcomed the forthcoming signing of an investment agreement between the Uzbek Metallurgical Plant and the Italian Danieli & C.Officine Mecchanicne on the implementation of a joint project.
On the same day, the sixth round of the Uzbek-Italian political consultations was held at the Foreign Ministry.
Recall, the Italian company Danieli is the builder of the building contractor of the casting and rolling unit of the Uzbek Metallurgical Complex. The project will be commissioned in 2020 and will produce an additional 1 million tons of steel sheets per year and create more than 400 jobs.
