President Tokayev and PM Meloni Hold Brief Meeting at Astana Airport

Astana, The Gulf Observer: President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a brief yet cordial exchange with Prime Minister of the Italian Republic Giorgia Meloni at Astana Airport, as reported by local media. The meeting marked the beginning of a high-level visit aimed at strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries.

“It is a great honour for us to welcome you in Kazakhstan,” said President Tokayev. “I am confident that the upcoming talks will play an important, and, probably, key role in giving additional impetus to our bilateral relations. Italy is one of Kazakhstan’s leading trading partners in Europe.”

The Kazakh President also highlighted the successful convening of a Kazakhstan-Italy Business Forum held in Astana over the past two days, with the participation of numerous Italian entrepreneurs. He expressed appreciation for Italy’s continued support in fostering business cooperation between the two nations.

Prime Minister Meloni, in turn, expressed her pleasure at visiting Kazakhstan for the first time. “As you have said, the relations between our countries are very good, but there is always an opportunity to do better,” she noted. “We consider Kazakhstan as a very important partner of Italy and the entire Europe. Moreover, the Central Asian region has acquired strategic importance to date.”

She extended her gratitude to President Tokayev for hosting the inaugural Italy–Central Asia Summit at the level of heads of state. “I believe that this summit could become a historic one in our relations with the region. In these challenging times, it is very important for us to strengthen cooperation at all levels,” she added.

Prime Minister Meloni’s visit is accompanied by a surge in bilateral economic engagement, highlighted by the recent Italy-Kazakhstan Supply Chain International Forum. The event brought together representatives from around 300 companies from both countries and focused on cooperation in logistics, trade, industrial development, and supply chain management.

The high-level interactions underscore the shared commitment of Kazakhstan and Italy to deepen political dialogue, economic cooperation, and regional connectivity.