ASTANA, Kazakhstan, September 29. Presidents of Kazakhstan and Italy held expanded-format talks, highlighting the strong political, economic, and cultural ties between the two countries, Trend reports.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the significant role of Italian President Sergio Mattarella in deepening cooperation between Astana and Rome. Tokayev also recalled the productive agreements reached during his official visit to Italy last year, which gave fresh momentum to bilateral relations.
“Italy remains one of Kazakhstan’s top three trading partners. Our economic cooperation is developing dynamically and has enormous potential for further growth. We welcome Italy’s plans to expand exports. Over the past 20 years, Italy has invested up to $7.6 billion in our economy. Currently, 250 Italian companies operate successfully in Kazakhstan,” Tokayev said.
The president outlined promising sectors for deeper collaboration, including critical raw materials, petrochemicals, engineering, transport and logistics, light industry, food processing, artificial intelligence, finance, tourism, and education.
Both sides also noted active cooperation within the UN and other international organizations. Kazakhstan highlighted the successful creation of the “Central Asia Plus” dialogue platform and the first “Central Asia–Italy” summit held in Astana in May 2025, praising Italy’s support for the initiative.
Tokayev also recalled his friendly meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was a keynote speaker at the Astana International Forum.
Cultural and humanitarian cooperation was also discussed, with the Kazakh President announcing a decision to name a central street in Astana after Marco Polo, symbolizing the enduring friendship between Kazakhstan and Italy.