President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov will pay a visit to Italy in October this year. According to the Italian news agency Agenzia Nova, with reference to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy Edmondo Cirielli, the visit of the head of the Turkmen state will be timed to coincide with the opening of an archaeological exhibition dedicated to ancient Margiana. The exhibition will be held in one of Rome’s central cultural institutions, the Capitoline Museum.
Cirielli announced the upcoming visit on 10 April during the international conference “Dialogue, Trust, Peace, Security in the World” organized by the Italian Institute of Asia (ISIA).
“For Italy, Turkmenistan is the gateway to Central Asia. This is a country with which we have a historical connection: to reach China along the Silk Road, Italy forged a thousand-year-old and deep relationship maintained to this day. The activity of (the Government of Giorgia) Meloni and (Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio) Tajani’s attitude towards the Caucasus, Central Asia and China is a reality that is obvious to everyone,” Cirielli said.
Italy ranks third among the region’s trading partners, behind only China and Russia. As Cirielli stressed, Central Asia is of strategic importance “not only because of the huge mineral resources or hydrocarbons, but also because these countries have great cultural and diplomatic traditions, geographical location, which assigns them the role of a bridge between Europe and Asia.”
The conference was attended by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Akhmet Gurbanov. In his speech, he focused on the policy of neutrality pursued by Turkmenistan. “This year we will organize a number of major events dedicated to neutrality, including a summit in December with the participation of heads of state and representatives of international institutions,” he said.
Gurbanov highlighted the dynamics of bilateral economic relations: “The trade between Turkmenistan and Italy has already exceeded 1.6 billion euros. We cooperate in the fields of energy, transport, textile industry, agriculture. Business ties are developing. Turkmenistan is also ready to cooperate within the framework of the European Global Gateway initiative. We invite all companies to actively participate in the development of projects.”
The diplomat paid special attention to cultural and academic exchanges, which are also gaining momentum. Turkmenistan’s Ambassador to Rome, Toyly Komekov, thanked the Italian side for its support and interest in developing relations with Turkmenistan and Central Asian countries.