Inaugural Central Asia-Italy summit to begin in Astana

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is hosting the inaugural Central Asia-Italy summit in Astana today.

The summit will bring Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni together with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Kazakh-Italian trade has laid the groundwork for this meeting: Italy is Kazakhstan’s third largest trading partner behind China and Russia. Kazakh oil and gas presents an opportunity for Italy to diversify its energy sources and serves as a significant revenue stream for Italian energy company Eni. Meloni also met bilaterally with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Thursday and signed a declaration of commitment to strengthening the two states’ relationship.

While Central Asia will seek to grow stronger relationships with Italy and the EU, states in the region must also balance their relationships with China. As Chinese economic influence grows in Central Asia, Italian and EU outreach represents an opportunity for states in the region to diversify their economies and keep China at arm’s length. It is likely that Italy will sign agreements with Central Asian states in a fashion similar to the Uzbek-Italian declaration. As a result, trade between Italy and states in the region may increase, especially in key areas like energy and rare minerals. These countries will also seek to increase cooperation in other areas like technology, infrastructure, science, and agriculture.