The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Luigi Di Maio, had a video conference with the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Mukhtar Tileuberdi, with whom he subsequently inaugurated the work of the bilateral Business Forum. It was a significant opportunity to relaunch high-level relations with Kazakhstan.
Italy has significant energy interests in Kazakhstan and has long been in undisputed leadership in trade relations, being the second largest global market for Kazakh exports and the first in Europe. The Business Forum, supported by the digital platform of Confindustria “GO!, and organised by MAECI, the Embassy of Italy in Kazakhstan, Kazakh Invest and the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan “Atameken”, ” was also attended by Deputy Minister Manlio Di Stefano and Kazakh Vice Foreign Minister Almas Aidarov, and held in the presence of the heads of ICE (Italian Trade Agency), Confindustria, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, SACE and SIMEST. It was focused on renewable energy, agro-industry, mechanics and industry, identified as some of the most promising sectors within the development programme called “Kazakhstan 2050”. Italian and Kazakh companies from the three sectors took part in many B2B meetings.
During the bilateral talks with his Kazakh counterpart, Minister DI Maio reiterated Italy’s interest in strengthening the bilateral partnership with Kazakhstan in the political, economic and cultural sectors. The Minister recalled the action to increase our role in the Central Asian region, adopting a regional approach that will see the holding by the end of the second Italy-Central Asia ministerial meeting, after the first event held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in December 2019. A significant opportunity to relaunch the Italian presence in the region will also be ensured by the inauguration in 2022 of an Italian Cultural Institute in Almaty, the first in the entire Central Asian area.
Finally, the two ministers pointed out that Kazakhstan is the first country in Central Asia to have signed a Partnership and Enhanced Cooperation Agreement with the European Union (EPCA), which opens up significant opportunities for cooperation in clean energy, sustainable modernisation and connectivity
