On May 30, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will pay an official visit to Kazakhstan. The same day will also mark the inaugural Central Asia-Italy summit, to be held in Astana with the participation of regional heads of state.
In anticipation of the visit, the Kazakh-Italian Business Forum opened in Astana on May 28, focusing on the development of trade and logistics cooperation. Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov highlighted a key milestone in bilateral relations: trade between the two countries increased by 25% in 2024, reaching nearly US$20 billion. Of this, Kazakh exports accounted for more than US$18 billion.
Diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Italy were established in 1992. Italy opened its embassy in Kazakhstan in October of that year, followed by the opening of the Kazakh embassy in Italy in 1996. In 1994, then-President Nursultan Nazarbayev made his first official visit to Rome. A reciprocal visit by Italian President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro followed in 1997. Over the ensuing decades, Kazakhstan received visits from Italian Prime Ministers Romano Prodi, Silvio Berlusconi, Mario Monti, and Matteo Renzi.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited Italy twice before assuming the presidency: first as Foreign Minister in 1997, and again in 2018 as Chairman of the Senate. His first presidential visit to Italy took place in January 2024.
Over the years, bilateral relations have reached a high level of maturity. A sustained political dialogue is ongoing, mutual trade is rising, the legal framework is expanding, and multilateral cooperation is strengthening.
A pivotal moment in this relationship came in 2009 with the signing of a Strategic Partnership Agreement. During a productive visit by Nazarbayev to Italy, multiple agreements were signed, facilitating mutual investments exceeding US$6 billion.
Italy is now Kazakhstan’s third-largest trading partner, following China and Russia, and ranks among the top five foreign investors in the Kazakh economy. In 2023, bilateral trade turnover was around US$20 billion. Approximately 250 Italian companies operate in Kazakhstan, contributing significantly to sectors such as oil and gas, renewable energy, machine building, and agriculture.
Over the past two decades, Italy has invested US$7.6 billion in Kazakhstan, prioritizing the oil and gas sector, green energy, machinery, and the agro-industrial complex. Kazakhstan’s main exports to Italy include crude oil, ferroalloys, wheat and meslin, copper, aluminum, zinc, lead, scrap precious metals, fuel oil, and cranes. In turn, Italy supplies Kazakhstan with pharmaceuticals, industrial equipment, pumps, and other finished goods.
According to the Italian media, Prime Minister Meloni’s upcoming visit aims to strengthen energy and industrial cooperation. Meloni is expected to sign a cooperation agreement alongside President Tokayev between Italian firm, Maire, and Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna to establish an engineering and industrial hub.
Samruk-Kazyna is also slated to sign an agreement with Ansaldo Energia for the production of gas turbine components for power plants. In January 2024, during Tokayev’s visit to Rome, Ansaldo committed to supplying gas turbines and generators for the reconstruction of the TPP-3 power plant in Almaty, as well as collaborating on new energy projects.
Additional agreements expected during the visit will address environmental protection, critical raw materials, and collaboration in training and research.
Follow our special coverage on the Astana International Forum here.
