ASTANA – Government and business representatives from Central Asia and Italy convened on Sept. 16 in Astana for the launch of the B5+Italy platform aimed at turning growing political engagement into investment, industrial cooperation and stronger trade links across the region.
Launch of the B5+Italy platform in Astana. Photo credit: Kazakh Ministry of Trade and Integration The forum in Astana brought together government officials and businesses from Italy, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, with discussions focused on connectivity, sustainable growth and new opportunities for companies operating across Central Asia.
The meeting follows the first Central Asia-Italy summit at the leaders’ level, held in Astana in May 2025, when Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the presidents of the five Central Asian states agreed to deepen cooperation across trade, investment, transport, energy and other sectors.
The platform, proposed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, is designed to complement the political dialogue in C5+1 format by giving businesses a more direct role in shaping economic cooperation. Italian Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Maria Tripodi said the new business format was intended to give that political dialogue an economic dimension.
“We consider that today’s meeting is important because it is the beginning of a new era. (…) We want to transform the political dialogue into investments, partnerships and new opportunities for our countries,” Tripodi told the forum participants. “It is the companies, in fact, that are subject to transform the political relationship into a more solid one, investing time and effort,” she said.
Arman Shakkaliyev. Photo credit: Kazakh Ministry of Trade and Integration Addressing the gathering, Kazakh Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliyev said the forum gives an opportunity to Italian companies to approach Central Asia increasingly as a regional market rather than five isolated economies.
“Today, Central Asia is a market with a rapidly growing economy,” said the minister. “For Italian businesses, today’s forum represents an opportunity to work with the entire region and to expand production and market presence across several countries simultaneously.” He said Central Asia should increasingly be viewed as an interconnected economic space where companies can establish production in one country while reaching consumers and supply chains across several neighboring markets.