NUR-SULTAN — On August 21 Kazakhstan and Italy marked the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. On this occasion, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said in a statement that relations between the two countries have reached an unprecedented level over these years, including an open and fruitful dialogue, growing bilateral trade, broadening of the legal framework and strengthening of multilateral cooperation.
Signing of the Agreement on Strategic Partnership in 2009 was a landmark event for Kazakh-Italian relationship.
Italy is one of the largest trade and investment partners of Kazakhstan and has invested more than $15 billion in Kazakhstan’s economy over the last 30 years.
In the first half of 2022, the trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Italy reached $8 billion. The key areas of trade and economic cooperation are energy, exploration and extraction of natural resources, construction, infrastructure, transport, communications, agriculture, science and technology. More than 250 Italian companies successfully operate in Kazakhstan.
An Intergovernmental Task Force for Industrial and Economic Cooperation and Exchange, as well as the Kazakhstan-Italy Parliamentary Friendship Group were established to develop bilateral contacts.
Since June of this year, a regular air route between Milan and Almaty has been launched by the Italian airline company Neos.
In the cultural and humanitarian dimension, cooperation in education, library service and research is expanding. As part of the 175th anniversary of Abai Kunanbayuly, the “Book of words” and poems of the great Kazakh philosopher have been translated into Italian language. The centres of Kazakh culture and literature are operating at the Ambrosiana Library in Milan and at the Ca’ Foscari University in Venice.
Kazakhstan and Italy also have close historic ties, rooted in the past of the Great Silk Road and travels across the vast expanses of the Great Steppe by the famous Venetian merchant Marco Polo.