BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 22. Uzbekistan and Italy agreed to expand cooperation in agricultural technology, scientific research and investment projects.
This was reflected in the statement published by the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan following the talks held on the sidelines of the 30th session of the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) Committee on Agriculture (COAG) in Rome.
The agreements were reached during a meeting between Uzbekistan's Agriculture Minister Ibrokhim Abdurakhmonov and Italy's Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests, Francesco Lollobrigida, at FAO headquarters.
According to the ministry, the talks focused on broadening bilateral cooperation in agriculture through the adoption of advanced technologies, stronger scientific partnerships and the acceleration of joint investment initiatives.
Abdurakhmonov outlined Uzbekistan's ongoing agricultural reforms aimed at modernizing the sector, improving productivity and expanding digital technologies across the industry.
"The introduction of Italy's advanced expertise and modern technologies is one of the priority areas of cooperation between our two countries," Abdurakhmonov said.
One of the key outcomes of the meeting was an agreement to study Italy's AntiFraud digital platform, which is used in insurance and payment systems, with a view to adapting and implementing the technology in Uzbekistan. According to the ministry, the system is designed to improve transparency in financial and insurance transactions, reduce corruption risks and strengthen administrative efficiency.
The ministers also agreed to expand cooperation between Italy's Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA) and the Academy of Agriculture of Uzbekistan through joint research projects, academic exchanges and collaboration between scientists and university faculty.
The discussions further covered efforts to accelerate joint investment projects with Italian agribusiness company Bonifiche Ferraresi and the possible adaptation of Italy's Contratti di Filiera and Contratti di Distretto mechanisms—models that promote integrated agricultural supply chains and regional production clusters—to Uzbekistan's agricultural sector.
Lollobrigida also highlighted the progress of a trilateral cooperation format involving Uzbekistan, Italy and Azerbaijan.
"The trilateral cooperation platform has already produced important results in a short period of time and has proven its effectiveness. We intend to continue developing this format," he said.
The meeting reflects Uzbekistan's broader strategy of strengthening international partnerships to modernize its agricultural sector through innovation, digitalization and foreign investment. Italy has become an increasingly important partner in these efforts, providing expertise in agricultural technologies, research and agribusiness management. Expanding bilateral cooperation is expected to support Uzbekistan's long-term goals of increasing productivity, improving governance in the sector and integrating more closely into international agricultural value chains.
