Rome, 7 October 2026 – As part of his working visit to the Italian Republic, Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan Arman Shakkaliyev held the 10th meeting of the Kazakhstan-Italy Intergovernmental Working Group on Industrial and Economic Cooperation and Exchanges, as well as a series of meetings with the heads of Italian companies and business associations.
The Italian side at the meeting of the Working Group was headed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic Edmondo Cirielli. The parties reviewed the implementation of previously reached agreements and discussed further expansion of trade, economic and investment cooperation. Particular attention was paid to diversifying mutual trade, developing industrial cooperation, implementing joint investment projects, as well as cooperation in energy, transport and logistics, the agro-industrial sector and other promising areas.
In 2025, the volume of mutual trade amounted to approximately USD 16.9 billion. In January–July 2026, trade turnover reached USD 9.79 billion, including Kazakhstan’s exports of approximately USD 9 billion and imports from Italy amounting to USD 789.6 million. At the same time, supplies of Italian products to Kazakhstan increased by 13.5%. One of the key objectives identified by the parties was to further diversify mutual trade and expand supplies of higher value-added products. According to estimates by the Kazakh side, the potential for additional exports of Kazakhstani products to the Italian market amounts to approximately USD 307.5 million. The most significant opportunities exist in metallurgy, petrochemicals, the food and chemical industries, mechanical engineering and other sectors.
An important practical instrument for developing business ties was the Kazakhstan-Italy Trade House, opened in Almaty in February 2026. The platform is focused on promoting exports, supporting investment projects, developing industrial cooperation, and establishing direct contacts between businesses of the two countries. Particular emphasis was placed on investment cooperation. To promote joint projects, the parties expressed interest in making use of the opportunities offered by the Astana International Financial Centre and expanding interaction between financial institutions and business communities of the two countries. Considerable attention was paid to the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) as a reliable and efficient multimodal corridor between Central Asia and Europe. Kazakhstan invited Italian railway and logistics companies to participate in joint projects using the opportunities provided by the ports of Aktau and Kuryk. In the energy sector, the parties confirmed their interest in further developing cooperation in traditional areas.
In the agro-industrial sector, the parties discussed prospects for cooperation in crop production, grain processing and livestock farming. The parties agreed to continue efforts to increase the level of localisation and develop the component base, with a view to incorporating Kazakhstani components into global supply chains. In addition, the parties agreed to expand cooperation in environmental protection and sustainable water resources management, tourism and sports, culture and education. Particular attention will be paid to climate initiatives, energy efficiency, decarbonisation, the introduction of modern engineering and digital solutions in the field of water resources, as well as the development of professional and educational exchanges.
The business programme of the visit served as a practical continuation of the agenda of the Intergovernmental Working Group. The key focus of the meetings with Italian companies was to expand practical cooperation between the business communities of Kazakhstan and Italy – from promoting Kazakhstani products and establishing direct commercial ties to attracting investment and technologies and implementing joint projects.
A significant part of the discussions focused on attracting Italian and European businesses to investment and industrial projects in Kazakhstan. With representatives of Blacktrace and Value Partners, the parties discussed the development of a project pipeline and the attraction of investors, technology providers and engineering partners in such areas as the deep processing of critical and rare earth metals, the development of the Middle Corridor, water-saving technologies, data centres and artificial intelligence infrastructure. The Kazakh side emphasised its interest in deepening industrial cooperation, localising technologies and engineering expertise, involving domestic contractors and developing human capital. As a next step, the parties proposed identifying several pilot projects and developing specific cooperation models.
Particular attention was paid to expanding access for Kazakhstani products to the Italian market. Discussions with Crai Mediterranea focused on direct supplies of food products, including vegetable oils, honey, confectionery, grain and flour products, pulses and organic products, with the possible launch of a pilot shelf in selected stores followed by an expansion of supplies through the Gruppo CRAI network. With ASSOEBIOS, the parties discussed prospects for supplying Kazakhstani agricultural raw materials for use in bioenergy, including oilseeds and their processed products. Discussions with CoolXp focused on the possibility of using Kazakhstan as a pilot market, followed by the scaling-up of the company’s business across Central Asia and the phased localisation of after-sales services and selected components.
Issues related to systematic interaction between the business communities were also discussed with the leadership of the Italy-Kazakhstan Chamber of Commerce. The parties agreed to translate the agreements reached into practical action by identifying specific projects and potential partners, arranging direct negotiations between companies and continuing to develop cooperation mechanisms. The Ministry of Trade and Integration, together with QazTrade, stands ready to facilitate the establishment of the necessary contacts with government authorities, development institutions and Kazakhstani businesses in order to implement the initiatives outlined.
