Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- A delegation of Uzbekistan headed by the director of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies (ISMI) under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan took part on 29 May in the city of Rome in a round table on the topic: "Uzbekistan and Italy: new frontiers cooperation".

The event was organized jointly with the Italian Society of International Organizations, which is one of the country’s leading analytical and research structures operating under the auspices of the Italian Foreign Ministry.

It was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ministries and departments, leading companies, universities and research institutes, as well as the Italian media.

A thorough exchange of views took place on the current state and prospects for the development of Uzbek-Italian cooperation in the political, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres. Issues of cooperation between the European Union and the states of Central Asia were also considered.

Speaking at the event with a welcoming speech, Eldor Aripov stressed that from the very beginning of independence, for more than thirty years, Italy has been acting as a reliable European partner of Uzbekistan, contributing to the sustainable and stable development of the country.

In this regard, according to Eldor Aripov, the ongoing Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan and the tasks arising from the updated version of the Constitution open up new prospects for deepening and expanding Uzbek-Italian relations.

Rome fully supports the reforms in Uzbekistan.

The Italian partners highly appreciate the consistent policy of strengthening democratic institutions in the country, liberalization and diversification of the economy.

Experts noted that not only in Rome, but also in the EU, they are watching with great interest large-scale reforms in Uzbekistan, which prioritize, first of all, the tasks of ensuring the well-being of the people.

According to the Italian Ambassador to Tashkent Agostino Pinna, since 2017, an impressive “reformist turn” has begun in Uzbekistan. The new constitutional reform has laid even stronger foundations for a market economy: fundamental freedoms and guarantees of business activities are being strengthened, and the protection of private property is being strengthened.

According to Agostino Pinna, it is in such a dynamic and consistently developing paradigm that Italian-Uzbek relations flourish. Thus, at the end of 2022, trade increased by 32%, reaching 535.4 million euros, which made Italy the third major European trading partner for Uzbekistan.

It was emphasized that the interest of Italian business in Uzbekistan is mutual and is growing steadily. In recent years, the number of enterprises in the republic with the participation of Italian capital has doubled, covering such new areas as the mining sector, metallurgy, the petrochemical and electrical industries, and the production of building materials. As a result, over the past four years, the volume of assimilated Italian investments has increased by 7 times - from 7.1 million to 49.6 million dollars.

  President of the Italian Society of International Organizations Ricardo Sessa noted that "Uzbekistan and Italy are centuries-old friends." The two countries are linked by long-standing historical and civilizational ties. Modern Uzbekistan is considered a key country in the Central Asian policy of Rome. Sustainable internal stability, as well as creative regional policy of Tashkent, make Uzbekistan an important partner in the region.

According to him, thanks to the cardinal changes, Italy’s strategic interest in cooperation with Uzbekistan is growing.

As a result, there is an intensification of inter-parliamentary relations, contacts are dynamically expanding at the level of ministries and departments of Uzbekistan and Italy.

As a result of the round table, the parties reached an agreement on the further development of expert dialogue, the expansion of contacts between the analytical institutions of Uzbekistan and Italy.

In this vein, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Italian Society of International Organizations.

The document provides for the establishment of cooperation and regular working contacts between the analytical centers of the two countries through joint research projects, organizing forums, seminars and round tables on issues of mutual interest.