The President of Uzbekistan noted the great potential of cooperation with the Lombardy region

President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting with the Governor of Lombardy Attilio Fontana in Milan as part of the events of the second day of his official visit to Italy.

Lombardy, located in the north of Italy, is one of the most populated and largest regions of the country, is among the most economically developed regions of Italy. It forms 22 percent of the country's total GDP and ranks fifth in the European Union by this indicator.

At the beginning of the meeting, the head of our state congratulated Attilio Fontana on his re-election to the post of governor and wished him success in his activities in this post.

Fruitful talks with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni were noted with satisfaction the day before, during which support was expressed for the development of interregional contacts.

Practical aspects of mutually beneficial cooperation, primarily in the trade and investment sphere, were discussed at the meeting.

Last year, the trade turnover between the regions of Uzbekistan and Lombardy increased by 83 percent. In April, air service between Milan and Tashkent was resumed.

Strong partnerships have been established with leading companies in the region, such as Pietro Fiorentini, Terranova, Danieli, Fin. Opera and others.

The President of Uzbekistan stressed the importance of increasing the portfolio of joint trade and investment projects, wider involvement of advanced Italian technologies and knowledge in various sectors of the economy of Uzbekistan.

The need was noted for the speedy preparation of a full-scale program of cooperation with Lombardy, holding a joint investment forum in Samarkand.

Special attention was paid to the issues of deepening industrial cooperation, creating favorable conditions for promoting business initiatives, implementing public-private partnership projects in the field of medicine, developing innovations, expanding cultural and humanitarian ties, including holding mutual Days of Culture.

The Governor expressed his sincere gratitude to the President of our country for the comprehensive support provided to the projects and initiatives of the Lombardy business community in Uzbekistan. He confirmed his readiness to fully promote a full-scale and mutually beneficial business partnership with the regions of our country.

At the end of the meeting, the head of our state wished Attilio Fontana success in preparing for the upcoming Winter Olympics in 2026, which will be held in Lombardy.