At the end of Deputy Minister Cirielli’s visit to Kazakhstan

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Edmondo Cirielli, has concluded a three-day visit to Kazakhstan, during which he co-chaired the IX session of the Kazakh-Italian Intergovernmental Working Group on Industrial and Economic Cooperation - the first in the last six years. Representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Italian Trade Agency, Confindustria, SACE, SIMEST, and CDP were also present, and on the sidelines of the meeting, they signed an agreement worth EUR 200 million with the Kazakhstan Development Bank.

The deepening of the strong economic relations between Italy and Kazakhstan was the focus of subsequent bilateral meetings held by the Deputy Minister with the Minister of Trade, Arman Shakkaliyev, and with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs responsible for investment attraction, Alibek Kuantyrov.

Significant attention was given to enhancing the commitment of Italian Cooperation within the framework of regional efforts to rehabilitate the Aral Sea. Accompanied by the Director of AICS, Marco Rusconi, and a delegation from SOGESID Spa led by CEO Stravato, the Deputy Minister also met with the leaders of IFAS, the regional organisation for the protection of the Aral Sea basin, where they discussed an environmental rehabilitation project for the lake.

At the conclusion of the visit, the Deputy Minister met with the Italian community in Almaty and visited the offices of the Italian Trade Agency and the Italian Cultural Institute, the first of its kind in Central Asia.