At a meeting in Tashkent, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni agreed to take their strategic partnership to a new level, focusing on industrial cooperation and expanding labor migration, Uza.uz reports.
The talks took place during the Italian Prime Minister's brief stop in the Uzbek capital.
The parties noted with satisfaction the progress in implementing the agreements reached in Samarkand in May 2025. Currently, there is a steady increase in trade turnover and the number of joint ventures, as well as strengthening ties with Italian regions, including Lombardy. An important step in the social sphere was the allocation of quotas for organized labor migration of Uzbek citizens to Italy.
The following key areas of economic cooperation were highlighted:
Implementation of industrial projects with market leaders such as Danieli, Pietro Fiorentini, and others.
Priority development of cooperation in the textile, geology, energy, chemical, and financial markets sectors.
Holding meetings of the Intergovernmental Commission and the Rectors' Forum in 2026.
Particular attention was paid to cultural dialogue: cross-cultural Film Days, Uzbekistan's participation in the Venice Biennale, and the organization of applied arts exhibitions in Milan are planned. At the end of the conversation, Shavkat Mirziyoyev invited Giorgia Meloni to pay a full official visit to the republic to further deepen the bilateral agenda.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
January 20, 2026