Astana, May 30 (EFE).- Kazakhstan and Italy are to cooperate in the field of critical minerals and materials according to a joint declaration signed on Friday at the end of talks between Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The document was signed by the Kazakh Ministry of Industries and the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, together with other institutions from both countries.
Meloni said today’s talks were not only about Kazakhstan’s oil and gas exports but also about “critical materials that are in demand today,” without giving further details.
The prime minister called for further deepening and improving relations between Rome and Astana, “especially as there are new areas” of cooperation.
“There is always room for more, from energy to culture, to exchanges between our universities and our peoples,” she said.
She assured that Italy considers Kazakhstan a strategic partner and stressed that the Central Asian region is an “important strategic crossroads.”
In turn, Tokayev said that Italy is Kazakhstan’s third-largest trading partner in the world, as well as its largest partner in Europe and that trade between the two countries reached 20 billion dollars last year.
“But this is not the limit and there is a possibility to increase this figure. We appreciate that so many Italian companies operate in Kazakhstan. The Kazakh government will offer certain preferences to Italian investors,” he said.
The head of state added that if Italian investors and entrepreneurs have any problems in the Kazakh market, they should let him know and solutions will be found.
“I believe that there should be no obstacles to achieving our goals of closer relations,” Tokayev emphasized.
Meloni’s visit to Kazakhstan was originally scheduled for April but was postponed due to the death of Pope Francis. EFE