2026 to become Year of Cultural Rapprochement of Central Asia and Italy

Images | The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is committed to the implementation of joint water management projects as well as to the promotion of the principles of international water law. Through interaction only we can effectively resist climate challenges," Nurzhan Nurzhigitov said.

1. On 30 May 2025, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, welcomed in Astana the President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic, Giorgia Meloni, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sadyr Zhaparov, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, for the first meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and the President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic, Giorgia Meloni.
2. During an open and constructive dialogue, the Leaders, having recalled the historical ties between Central Asia and Italy, exchanged views on the state and prospects of the cooperation between the Central Asian States and Italy, and praised the development of relations over the past three decades since the establishment of diplomatic ties.
3. The Leaders commended the progress made since the Third Ministerial Conference in the Central Asia + Italy format held in Rome in 2024 and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening their partnership based on shared values, mutual respect, and common interests.
4. They highlighted the broad scope of bilateral cooperation, as well as the development of ties between the States of Central Asia and Italy within the framework of the European Union (EU) and other multilateral platforms.
5. The Head of the Italian Government expressed support for the aspirations of the Central Asian States to deepen regional cooperation. In this context, the importance of the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia was emphasized, as these meetings play a key role in advancing regional cooperation, promoting multilateral engagement, fostering peace and stability, achieving sustainable development, and responding collectively to the region’s current challenges.
6. The Leaders welcomed the signing on 13 March 2025 of the Treaty on the State Border between the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Tajikistan, as well as, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan’s agreement on the junction of their countries' borders, which will contribute to peace and prosperity in the region.
7. The Summit welcomed the intensification of relations between Central Asia and the EU, recognizing the importance of the EU Strategy for Central Asia, as well as the Joint Roadmap developed in 2023 to deepen ties. The Leaders especially emphasized the significance of the outcomes of the 20th Ministerial Meeting "Central Asia-European Union", held on 27 March 2025 in Ashgabat, and of the first Central Asia - EU Summit held on 3-4 April 2025, in Samarkand, which elevated cooperation to a level of strategic partnership.
8. The Leaders expressed appreciation for joint efforts and ongoing projects within multilateral platforms, particularly within the framework of the United Nations and its specialized agencies. Reflecting longstanding multilateral cooperation between Italy and Central Asia, the Leaders acknowledged Italy’s active role and commitment to addressing security, environmental and infrastructure challenges, as well as its initiatives aimed at fostering cooperation and innovation in the region.
9. The Leaders reaffirmed their determination to collaborate in the interest of peace, security, democracy, the promotion of human rights, rule of law and sustainable development. The Leaders of Central Asia and Italy reiterated their unwavering commitment to the principles of the UN Charter, including respect for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of all States, the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, the non-use of force or threat of its use, and the peaceful settlement of international disputes. They declared their support for achieving a just and lasting peace in all conflicts, based on adherence to the international law and the principles enshrined in the UN Charter.
10. They expressed their readiness to discuss the possibility of cooperation for the sustainable progress of the African continent noting Italy’s strategic view for Africa, the Mattei Plan.
11. The Leaders emphasised the importance of addressing key global challenges. They agreed to enhance collaboration in tackling emerging threats, strengthening cooperation in combating climate change, countering terrorist and cyber threats, extremism, illegal migration, trafficking of all types of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors like fentanyl.
12. In this regard, the Leaders agreed to further strengthen the dialogue and cooperation between Italy and Central Asia in the field of security through regular meetings at a regional level, with particular regard to law enforcement, countering illicit traffics, e.g. drug, arms and people trafficking, deradicalization and prevention of extremism. They expressed their interest in further exploring the possibilities for enhancing exchange of information, experiences, knowledge, best practices and dedicated training of qualified personnel.
13. The Leaders welcomed the steady growth of economic relations between Central Asia and Italy, confirming their mutual commitment to fostering economic ties, trade, and investment, as well as supporting the development of small and medium-sized enterprises.
14. Building on strong economic growth and a steady increase in bilateral trade between Central Asia and Italy, the Leaders agreed to take measures to expand cooperation in interrelated areas such as natural resources, climate and energy - including renewable energy, (e.g. solar, wind, hydropower etc.), critical raw materials, agriculture, connectivity and critical infrastructure - including through the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.
15. The Leaders emphasized the importance of addressing environmental challenges such as the Aral Sea crisis, glacier melting and ensuring sustainable mountain development. They noted the significance of further cooperation on water issues, including by introducing energy efficient and resource-saving technologies, and in this regard welcomed the initiatives of holding high-level events on these issues. They welcomed Italy’s role in environmental initiatives in Central Asia, including pilot projects related to the Aral Sea crisis.
16. The Leaders stressed the need to strengthen cooperation between Central Asia and Italy in the energy sector, calling for increased cooperation at all levels in this domain. They also recognized the importance of establishing effective legal and regulatory frameworks to attract foreign investment in renewable energy projects and promote sustainable energy solutions. The Leaders noted Italy’s expertise in technological innovation, which could serve as a catalyst for the development of renewables.
17. The Leaders noted that the Central Asian States have significant potential in renewable energy and the production of hydrogen.
18. They agreed to support cooperation and development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) as a reliable and efficient multimodal transport corridor between Central Asia and Europe, and to encourage the participation of Italian railway and logistics companies in transport, infrastructure, and consulting projects. The Leaders stressed the importance of improving multimodal connectivity, including rail and road, in the region and agreed to continue developing the TITR, thereby reflecting shared priorities also addressed in the EU Global Gateway Strategy.
19. The Leaders noted that achieving climate and digital goals requires addressing key challenges related to the extraction and processing of critical raw materials. In this regard, Central Asian States and Italy agreed to seek mutually beneficial partnerships to promote sustainable economic development, including through the creation of value-added chains in producer countries.
20. The Leaders acknowledged the importance of addressing the economic, environmental, and urban development consequences of infrastructure and industrial projects in certain areas of Central Asia, ensuring sustainable growth and improved living standards.
21. The Leaders agreed to launch joint activities focused on exchange of knowledge and institutional cooperation in key sectors. These include: the proposal to convene a roundtable on water and hydropower dialogue in the Central Asia + Italy format by 2026 and one on energy cooperation in 2027, especially on advancing technologies for sustainable energy production and efficiency.
22. The Leaders advocated for knowledge exchange to more effectively address shared global challenges such as energy, water, sustainable agriculture, irrigation, healthcare, connectivity. For this purpose, they welcomed the establishment of knowledge networks among the Central Asia Countries and Italy. Italy’s contribution to technological programs in the Central Asian region was especially noted as a key factor in promoting innovation and strengthening cooperation.
23. The Leaders reiterated their interest in possible cooperation in the area of migration and expressed their readiness to further expand their collaboration in the area of technical and vocational education.
24. The Leaders highlighted the importance of expanding relations in the academic, science, research and innovation field, as well as tourism cooperation. They called for further steps in facilitating people-to-people ties. They emphasized the need to intensify youth exchanges and joint initiatives aimed at bringing their younger generations closer together. Italy’s contributions to technological programmes in the region were highlighted as instrumental in fostering both innovation and cooperation.
25. The Leaders agreed to promote further contacts and welcomed the proposal of the Kyrgyz Republic to host the next Central Asia + Italy Summit in 2027, as well as to organize the Fourth Foreign Ministers’ Conference in the spring of 2026 in Italy.
26. The President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic and the Presidents of the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan expressed gratitude to the President of Kazakhstan for his hospitality and the successful organization of the meeting in Astana.

Kazakhstan remains committed to uniting international efforts for the region’s sustainable development. Today, our country is one of Afghanistan’s top ten trading partners and actively works with global partners and organizations to address the food crisis in Afghanistan. Kazakhstan continues to be a reliable supplier of grain and flour to the Afghan market. We are also ready to begin supplying other grain types, livestock products, and confectionery and flour-based goods. Overall, we aim to expand our export assortment. To support this, we have opened the Kazakhstan Trade House in Herat and plan to open another one in Kabul," Olzhas Bektenov stated.

Kazakhstan is an important trade partner for us. We see real potential in our partnership. We are particularly interested in Kazakh IT technologies and agricultural production. The quality of your products is the highest compared to other countries. We are also interested in Kazakh-made agricultural equipment," Nuriddin Azizi said.

Images | primeminister.kz

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev places great importance on strengthening the partnership with the United Nations. Constructive engagement between our Head of State and UN Secretary-General António Guterres has given new impetus to advancing joint initiatives. Kazakhstan is firmly committed to addressing climate change. We are actively integrating the climate agenda into our development plans and working closely with international partners. Our Strategy for Achieving Carbon Neutrality outlines a clear long-term vision for transitioning to a low-carbon economy and defines the key transformations required across all sectors," Olzhas Bektenov stated.