The Italian president, Sergio Mattarella, will leave on Tuesday November 7 for a double mission in South Korea and Uzbekistan, with the aim of strengthening Italy's projection in Asia and cooperation with two partners of great strategic importance in the current international panorama, Agenza Nova said.
Accompanying the president on the state visit, the fourth conducted in the region after the one in China in 2017, and the two in Indonesia and Vietnam in 2015, will be his daughter Laura and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Edmondo Cirielli.
On November 9th evening, Sergio Mattarella will land in Uzbekistan, becoming the first tenant of the Colle to go to the country since 1997, the year of the visit of Oscar Luigi Scalfaro. Mattarella's visit is strongly supported by the Uzbek government, which is progressively consolidating relations with Rome within the framework of the strategic partnership agreement signed last June and the consultation mechanism between Italy and the five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan). Cooperation with Tashkent is of particular relevance for Italy, especially given the country's strategic position, located in a historic region of communication between Europe and the Far East, as well as between major regional powers such as Russia and China. It is precisely in this context that Rome could offer a potential contribution, assisting Uzbekistan in maintaining its autonomy and strengthening relations with the West.
Uzbekistan and Italy are also involved in a series of negotiations focused on investment protection and scientific and cultural cooperation, the progress of which will be assessed by Mattarella during the meeting with his Uzbek counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, scheduled for November 10 in Tashkent. On the same day, the president has scheduled a stop at the local headquarters of the Polytechnic of Turin, which will allow him to take stock of university exchanges and evaluate new potential areas of development and cooperation in the economic and technological fields. The visit will end on November 11th in Samarkand, a city that the Uzbek government aims to make an important political-cultural hub and where Italy is present with an archaeological mission.
