A memorandum was signed between the leading analytical centers of Uzbekistan and Italy

On May 31 of this year, a meeting of the delegation of Uzbekistan with the Italian Mediterranean Institute for Asia and Africa (ISMAA) was held in Rome as part of the leading research and analytical centers of our country.

The Asia-Africa Mediterranean Institute is a non-profit think tank established in 2017. The purpose of the institute is to develop dialogue between Italy, Asian and African countries, to strengthen and develop international cooperation in the field of economy and culture, science and research.

The event was attended by representatives of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, leading companies, research institutes, as well as ISMAA experts.

The representatives of the participants of the meeting made it possible to discuss in detail the issues of deepening Uzbekistan-Italy relations, the current state and prospects of regional cooperation in Central Asia, as well as the role of Brussels and Rome in ensuring the sustainable development of the region.

As Eldor Aripov, director of the Institute of Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, noted, the relations between our nations have centuries-old diplomatic, trade-economic and cultural ties. Today, the mutual cooperation of the countries is filled with new content, cooperation between the ministries and departments, regions, as well as between the business circles of Uzbekistan and Italy is steadily expanding.

Speaking about regional cooperation, the director of SMTI emphasized that today Central Asia is becoming stronger and more resistant to internal and external threats.

Eldor Aripov, giving a special assessment of the current state of relations between the countries of Central Asia and the European Union, noted that the multilateral dialogue between the two regions has reached a new level in terms of quality.

Today, the EU is one of the main trade-economic and investment partners of the region. More than a third of the total volume of foreign trade in Central Asia, as well as more than 40% of all attracted investments, is accounted for by the European Union.

In turn, the Italian side confirmed the great interest of Rome in the positive changes taking place in Uzbekistan and the whole of Central Asia in recent years.

As the former ambassador of Italy to Uzbekistan R. Manar noted, the large-scale reforms implemented in our country under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev have a significant impact on the entire region. Thanks to Uzbekistan, "Stability and precision" is becoming a distinctive symbol of the entire Central Asian region. Italy supports them in every way and is ready to provide all kinds of assistance for the sustainable development of the region.

According to the results of the meeting, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Institute of Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Asian and African Mediterranean Institute.

Within the framework of the document, it is planned to implement joint scientific projects, publish their results, hold conferences and roundtable discussions on current issues of bilateral relations and regional cooperation.