A Marco Polo legacy. On Friday at the Astana International Forum in Kazakhstan, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reaffirmed Italy’s historic mission “to create bridges and opportunities for dialogue” with Central Asia.
- Drawing on the spirit of Marco Polo—“who centuries ago crossed these lands to reach the farthest borders in the then known world”—she positioned Italy as the EU’s first mover in the region, having launched a permanent format for idea-sharing.
- “We have shown the way, and our example has indeed led the path, as proven by the first EU-Central Asia Summit last April, which not surprisingly elevated the relations between the region and the European Union to a strategic partnership,” Meloni said.
Inaugural Italy–Central Asia summit. Meloni’s two-day visit to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan culminated in the first-ever leaders’ summit between Italy and the five Central Asian nations.
- Heads of state in attendance included President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan, and Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan.
- “Middle Corridor is probably the most promising and fascinating challenge,” Meloni observed.
- She pledged Italy’s strong support for the trade route connecting Southeast Asia and China to Europe, which promises to bolster supply-chain security and stability between Europe and Central Asia.
Bilateral investment pacts. Throughout her visit, Meloni secured substantial agreements.
- On Thursday, Italy and Uzbekistan signed 14 memoranda worth €3 billion, covering agriculture, critical raw materials, nuclear power, renewables, and culture.
- On Friday, Italy and Kazakhstan announced memoranda valued at €4 billion, spanning oil and gas, renewable energy, water resource management, mechanical engineering, agro-industry, and critical raw materials.
- In a bilateral with President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, Meloni proposed hosting an Italy–Turkmenistan business forum in October to deepen commercial ties.
Polato’s take. “In this historical context, diversifying supply chains is essential,” said Daniele Polato, Italian MEP for Meloni’s party Fratelli d’Italia, in an interview with our sister site Formiche.net, stressing the importance of the Prime Minister’s two-day visit.
- According to the MEP, a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, it is necessary to avoid “overly strong dependencies on a single entity can disrupt markets”.
- For this, it is necessary to strengthen trade relations and focus on Italy’s know-how in the region, he said.
