On September 18, the "Central Asia+Italy" Business Platform Forum took place in Astana, where B5+ITALY was officially launched. The platform has already outlined specific areas for further cooperation: increasing non-commodity exports from Kazakhstan to Italy, launching joint production facilities, developing regional trade and logistics hubs, and expanding direct transport links. The forum was attended by deputy ministers of relevant ministries from Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Tajikistan to Kazakhstan, as well as the Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Arman Shakkaliyev.

Today, Italy holds a special place in Kazakhstan's foreign trade. It is Kazakhstan's third-largest trading partner globally and the largest among the European Union countries. By the end of 2025, trade turnover between the two countries amounted to 16.9 billion US dollars, of which approximately 15.6 billion US dollars were Kazakh exports.

However, the next stage of partnership involves not just increasing trade volumes, but changing its structure. Kazakhstan has identified around 100 commodity items with the potential for additional export growth to Italy worth 307 million US dollars. The list includes products from the metallurgical, chemical, food, construction, and mechanical engineering industries.
"We are interested in making the platform a practical mechanism for direct interaction between Italian businesses and Central Asian countries, from trade and investment to industrial cooperation, transport, logistics, and new technologies," emphasized Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Arman Shakkaliyev.

This involves a transition from the traditional trade model to creating a joint production base. Currently, more than 300 enterprises with Italian capital operate in Kazakhstan, and the volume of Italian investments over the years of independence has exceeded 9.5 billion US dollars.

"Our task is to move from a 'supplier-buyer' model to a deeper partnership model: production localization, creation of joint ventures, technology transfer, and the formation of new production chains," noted Arman Shakkaliyev.

In parallel, the possibility of forming a trade and industrial hub based in Shymkent is being considered, through which Italian and Kazakh goods could be distributed to other regions of the country.

"The issue of forming a hub for trade and industrial goods in Shymkent with subsequent distribution of products to other regions is being considered," said Deputy Akim of Shymkent city, Aidyn Karimov.

Another direction is direct transport links between Kazakhstan and Italy. The parties plan to continue working on the issue of opening direct flights, which will create additional opportunities for developing business contacts and tourism ties.

A separate block of negotiations was dedicated to logistics. Participants discussed the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route and the creation of regional production and logistics hubs. For Italian businesses, Kazakhstan is seen as a connecting link between European and Asian markets, and infrastructure development opens up opportunities not only for transit but also for the placement of warehouse complexes, logistics centers, and regional distribution platforms.

The agro-industrial complex also remains a promising area. Kazakhstan is interested in increasing supplies not only of grain and oilseed crops but also of deeply processed products—vegetable oils, protein products, flour, and other high-value-added products.

The forum also discussed cooperation in the field of critical minerals, green energy and sustainable development, agribusiness, deep processing of agricultural products, energy, and oilfield services. The Kazakh-Italian Trade House, opened in Almaty in February 2026, remains an additional tool for developing business ties.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mti/press/news/details/1294610?lang=ru