In Rome on June 8, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni signed a joint declaration on establishing relations of strategic partnership between the two countries.
The negotiations preceding the adoption of the declaration noted that this European country is an important and reliable partner of Uzbekistan in Europe. In recent years, the parties have noticeably intensified cooperation, including in the fields of economy, energy, and culture. The volume of mutual trade and investment over the past five years has grown 2.2 times.
At the business forum held on June 6, a package of new investment agreements and trade contracts worth more than 9 billion euros was signed. The agreements cover, among other things, the textile and engineering industries, energy, transport, and logistics.
The parties called for the promotion of joint projects in technological and innovative cooperation, stimulation of direct contacts between the regions of the two countries, development of humanitarian ties (in particular, an agreement was reached to hold an exhibition of the cultural and historical heritage of Uzbekistan in Italy), continuation of cooperation in the field of education, and further development of tourism.
Since the beginning of the year, the number of Italian tourists in Uzbekistan has increased fivefold. The launched direct flights between Tashkent and Milan should contribute to further growth in the tourist flow.
