Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — As part of the International Forum “Italy – Central Asia (C5) + Azerbaijan” held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev met with Italy’s Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida.
The meeting focused on identifying effective cooperation avenues and promising sectors with high development potential.
Special attention was given to practical collaboration in trade, agricultural education, scientific research, and the implementation of modern technologies in farming. By the end of 2025, the bilateral agricultural trade volume reached US$58.6 million.
In the field of education, approximately 35 Uzbek students are enrolled in Italian master’s programs, including at the Tuscia University, with joint programs also running in partnership with the Samarkand University of Agro-Innovations and Research, including options for dual degrees.
Scientific cooperation is being developed between Uzbekistan’s National Center for Knowledge and Innovation in Agriculture (ACIS) and Italy’s National Research Council (CNR), as well as with leading Italian institutions CREA and AGEA.
During the discussions, projects on crop breeding and genetics, machinery modernization, the use of agricultural drones and smart farming, establishment of food safety and certification laboratories, as well as joint research on climate adaptation and ecosystem restoration—including in the Aral Sea region—were addressed.
The support of the leadership in both countries is creating conditions for taking Uzbek-Italian agricultural cooperation to a new level of quality growth and advanced technology implementation.
