BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 22. Uzbekistan and Italy
agreed to expand cooperation in agricultural technology, scientific
research and investment projects.
This was reflected in the statement published by the Ministry of
Agriculture of Uzbekistan following the talks held on the sidelines
of the 30th session of the Food and Agriculture Organization's
(FAO) Committee on Agriculture (COAG) in Rome.
The agreements were reached during a meeting between
Uzbekistan's Agriculture Minister Ibrokhim Abdurakhmonov and
Italy's Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests,
Francesco Lollobrigida, at FAO headquarters.
According to the ministry, the talks focused on broadening
bilateral cooperation in agriculture through the adoption of
advanced technologies, stronger scientific partnerships and the
acceleration of joint investment initiatives.
Abdurakhmonov outlined Uzbekistan's ongoing agricultural reforms
aimed at modernizing the sector, improving productivity and
expanding digital technologies across the industry.
"The introduction of Italy's advanced expertise and modern
technologies is one of the priority areas of cooperation between
our two countries," Abdurakhmonov said.
One of the key outcomes of the meeting was an agreement to study
Italy's AntiFraud digital platform, which is used in insurance and
payment systems, with a view to adapting and implementing the
technology in Uzbekistan. According to the ministry, the system is
designed to improve transparency in financial and insurance
transactions, reduce corruption risks and strengthen administrative
efficiency.
The ministers also agreed to expand cooperation between Italy's
Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA) and the
Academy of Agriculture of Uzbekistan through joint research
projects, academic exchanges and collaboration between scientists
and university faculty.
The discussions further covered efforts to accelerate joint
investment projects with Italian agribusiness company Bonifiche
Ferraresi and the possible adaptation of Italy's Contratti di
Filiera and Contratti di Distretto mechanisms—models that promote
integrated agricultural supply chains and regional production
clusters—to Uzbekistan's agricultural sector.
Lollobrigida also highlighted the progress of a trilateral
cooperation format involving Uzbekistan, Italy and Azerbaijan.
"The trilateral cooperation platform has already produced
important results in a short period of time and has proven its
effectiveness. We intend to continue developing this format," he
said.
The meeting reflects Uzbekistan's broader strategy of
strengthening international partnerships to modernize its
agricultural sector through innovation, digitalization and foreign
investment. Italy has become an increasingly important partner in
these efforts, providing expertise in agricultural technologies,
research and agribusiness management. Expanding bilateral
cooperation is expected to support Uzbekistan's long-term goals of
increasing productivity, improving governance in the sector and
integrating more closely into international agricultural value
chains.
