The official visit of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, initially scheduled for April 25-27, has been postponed due to the death of Pope Francis, according to Kazinform.
Prime Minister Meloni was set to visit Uzbekistan on April 25-26 and Kazakhstan on April 26-27. The final day of the visit was expected to coincide with the first-ever Central Asia-Italy summit in Astana, where Meloni was to join the heads of five Central Asian republics for discussions.
However, the visit has been delayed following the passing of Pope Francis on April 21. The Pope, aged 88, died after suffering a stroke and heart failure. As per his wishes, he will be laid to rest in the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, with a funeral ceremony scheduled for April 26.
New dates for Prime Minister Meloni’s visit will be determined through consultations between the involved parties, with further details to be announced in due course.
During an official visit to Italy in June 2023, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held productive talks with Prime Minister Meloni, resulting in a joint declaration to establish strategic partnership relations between the two nations.
In the first quarter of 2025, trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Italy totaled $98.4mn, reflecting a decrease of $16.1mn (14.1%) from $114.5mn in 2024 and a decrease of $8.8mn (8.2%) from $107.2mn in 2023.
In September 2024, the “Italy-Uzbekistan Advanced Engineering Center” was inaugurated at the Polytechnic University of Turin in Tashkent, aiming to strengthen bilateral cooperation in advanced technology, enhance Uzbekistan’s key industries, and promote joint ventures, investments, and new business opportunities.
