Why Giorgia Meloni is visiting Kazakhstan

A Strategic Partnership

Kazakhstan and Italy maintain an active political dialogue and strong economic ties. In 2009, the two countries signed an interstate agreement establishing a strategic partnership.

On January 18, 2024, during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s first official visit to Italy, he and Giorgia Meloni signed a Joint Statement.

“We are proud to be Italy’s leading partner in Central Asia. Our economic cooperation is growing dynamically and holds vast potential for further expansion,” said the President of Kazakhstan during the visit.

According to President Tokayev, direct foreign investment from Italy into Kazakhstan reached $7.3 billion in 2024. More than 300 Italian companies operate successfully in Kazakhstan, including major investors such as ENI, SDF Group, PetroValves, Maire Tecnimont, IVECO, Tenaris, and others.

The meeting also addressed joint achievements on the global stage, particularly within the frameworks of the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe, and OECD.

This will mark the second meeting between the Kazakhstani Head of State and the Italian Prime Minister this year, following their encounter in January during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. During that meeting, President Tokayev extended birthday congratulations to Giorgia Meloni and expressed his best wishes for her continued leadership of Italy. He also reaffirmed his invitation for her to pay an official visit to Astana.

A strategic signal

The upcoming "Central Asia – Italy" summit will serve as a key platform for discussing logistics, trade, industrial projects, and supply chain development between Kazakhstan and Italy.

According to Bekzhan Sadykov, Head of European and American Studies Department at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (KazISS), Giorgia Meloni’s visit comes amid a rapid transformation of the global geoeconomic landscape and marks an important milestone in the strategic partnership between the two countries.

“At first glance, this is a typical high-level visit. But in a broader strategic context, it’s a crucial piece of a larger geopolitical puzzle: Europe is rethinking its approach to Central Asia, and Kazakhstan is becoming a key platform for building this new cooperation,” noted the expert.

Sadykov emphasized that Italy, as one of Kazakhstan’s largest economic partners within the EU, has long been established as a key investor and trade actor in Central Asia. However, Meloni’s current visit goes beyond bilateral trade.

“This is a signal. Rome sees Astana as a cornerstone of its external economic strategy in the Eurasian space. Kazakhstan, in turn, understands the drivers behind this renewed interest and is prepared to engage in cooperation that takes into account national priorities and regional specifics,” he added.

Against the backdrop of growing instability in global trade, shifting logistics networks, and the demand for new energy routes, Kazakhstan is increasingly viewed as a strategic partner by European powers. Central Asia is no longer seen as a periphery, Sadykov argued, but rather as a convergence point for the interests, ideas, capital, and projects of key global partners.

Sadykov identified four core areas of cooperation between Kazakhstan and Italy:

· Energy and the Green Transition – Italy, a leader in Europe’s energy transition, is actively investing in renewables and cutting-edge technologies.

· Infrastructure and Logistics – Joint involvement in developing the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) and alternative corridors between Asia and Europe.

· Technology and Digitalization – Focus on digital transformation in industry, education, and governance.

· Education and Humanitarian Ties – Promoting cultural programs, academic exchanges, and university partnerships.

"Through balanced and pragmatic foreign policy, Kazakhstan and its Central Asian neighbors are strengthening their positions as reliable partners. This enhances Astana's potential to co-author a new model of regional interaction, one in which economy, technology, and diplomacy are woven into a resilient network of mutual and mutually beneficial interests," emphasized the Head of the European and American studies department at KazISS.

Italy: One of Central Asia’s leading European trade partners

Italy has emerged as one of the primary European trade partners for Central Asian countries. According to data from the International Trade Centre (ITC), in 2024, Italy accounted for 12.1% of trade between the EU and Central Asia. The total trade turnover between Central Asia and Italy reached $6.9 billion in 2024, compared to $7.1 billion in 2023 and $5.7 billion in 2022.

Moreover, Kazakhstan's share in trade turnover between Italy and Central Asia in 2024 amounted to around 85%. Italy purchases the most Kazakhstani export goods. Kazakhstan exported crude oil and petroleum products worth nearly $4.2 billion. According to data from the National Bank of Kazakhstan, Italian investments in Kazakhstan over the past 20 years (since 2005) have reached $7.7 billion.

Data from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Trade and Integration show that bilateral trade between Kazakhstan and Italy in 2024 amounted to $19.9 billion, an increase of 24% compared to the previous year ($16.1 billion).

Exports from Kazakhstan to Italy rose by 25.8% in 2024, reaching $18.7 billion. This growth was driven by increased shipments of:

· Crude oil: up 26.7% or $3.9 billion (from $14.5 to $18.4 billion)

· Hard coal: nearly 5-fold increase, up $44.2 million (from $11.2 to $55.3 million)

· Unwrought aluminum: 2.5 times increase, up $40.9 million (from $27.7 to $68.6 million)

· Dried leguminous vegetables: 37-fold increase, up $28.3 million (from $0.8 to $29.1 million)

· Flax seeds: up $4.1 million (from $0 to $4.1 million)

· Derrick cranes and lifting equipment for ships: 3.8-fold increase, up $2.2 million (from $0.8 to $3 million)

· Polypropylene polymers: 3.8-fold increase, up $867.4 thousand (from $314.9 thousand to $1.18 million)

Imports from Italy to Kazakhstan also rose in 2024, by 2.2%, reaching $1.3 billion. Growth was mainly driven by the following goods:

· Air or vacuum pumps, compressors, and fans: 3-fold increase, up $28.5 million (from $14.3 to $42.7 million)

· Medicinal products for retail sale: up 26%, or $25.5 million (from $98 to $123.5 million)

· Dishwashers, filling and sealing machines, packaging equipment: 4-fold increase, up $20.9 million (from $6.9 to $27.8 million)

· Metal forming machines: 11.3-fold increase, up $18.1 million (from $1.8 to $19.8 million)

· Food and beverage processing equipment: 3.5-fold increase, up $9.8 million (from $4.1 to $13.9 million)

· Thermal treatment equipment: up 54.3%, or $8.5 million (from $15.7 to $24.2 million)

· Prepared binding substances: 4-fold increase, up $8.2 million (from $2.7 to $10.9 million)

Earlier, Kazinform News Agency reported that Italy tops list of Kazakhstan’s export partners.