Kazakhstan and Italy Deepen Ties: Abay Monument in Rome, Marco Polo Street in Almaty

The presidents of Kazakhstan and Italy held talks at Aqorda during Sergio Mattarella’s official visit to Astana, Orda.kz reports.

President Qasym-Jomart Toqayev described Italy as an important partner within the European Union.

We have about 250 Italian companies operating in Kazakhstan. Since 2005, Italy has invested more than $7.6 billion in the Kazakhstan economy,  Toqayev said, promising to ensure favorable conditions for Italian businesses in the Kazakh market.

We agreed to further increase trade volumes. We have begun to consider new investment projects. We paid special attention to energy, agriculture, mechanical engineering, light industry, and the food industry. We also discussed expanding international transport routes, including the Trans-Caspian Corridor, Toqayev noted.

Next year, Italy will host the exhibition Koshpendiler Altyny, while the opera Abay will be staged at the historic Teatro di San Carlo in Naples. This year, a monument to the Kazakh poet Abay Kunanbayuly will be unveiled in Rome.

The leaders also discussed global issues, with Aqorda reporting that both presidents “expressed concern about the escalation of armed conflicts in the current difficult period."

To mark the visit, President Toqayev awarded his counterpart the Order of Dostyq (Ed.– Order of Friendship), 1st Class, while President Mattarella conferred on Toqayev the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. 

Original Author: Zarina Fayzulina