In order to implement the previously reached agreements with the Italian region of Lombardy, the Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Italy Otabek Akbarov visited Milan, the MFA press service reports.

Meetings were held with Lombardy vice governor Fabrizio Sala and his staff, during which practical steps to implement joint activities in the current year were discussed and agreed in accordance with the contracts signed during the visit of the Lombardy governor Attilio Fontana to Uzbekistan in November last year.

Fabrizio Sala noted that the Lombardy delegation highly appreciated the outcome of the visit and is ready for joint implementation of the whole range of issues discussed.

During the meetings in Milan, special attention was paid to the issues of expanding trade-economic cooperation.

In particular, an agreement was reached on organizing a visit of a delegation of companies and banks of Lombardy to Uzbekistan during the first half of 2020 in order to hold meetings in government agencies and to discuss specific projects.

Following the invitation of governor Attilio Fontana, a delegation of Samarkand region is planning a visit to Lombardy in the coming months. It is envisaged that the delegation will include the heads of the regional khokimiyat, representatives of leading companies and enterprises, as well as universities. During the visit, the establishment of direct partnerships between the two regions will be discussed, directions and projects for economic, cultural and humanitarian interaction will be developed.

The Ambassador of Uzbekistan also visited the International University of Languages and Media Communication in Milan, where meetings were held with its leadership and students. The university expressed its willingness to cooperate with the Uzbek side in the training of professional translators of the Italian language. In order to develop partnerships on a systematic basis, the Italian side showed interest in establishing direct ties with the Uzbek State World Languages University, as well as organizations involved in re-branding and promoting the image of Uzbekistan abroad. 

In addition, Ambassador Otabek Akbarov got acquainted with the structure and activities of the Cultural Complex “Fondazione Prada”, which is one of the most famous world platforms for demonstrating new ideas and trends in the fields of fashion, design, fine art, literature, philosophy, music and cinema. An agreement was reached on holding expert meetings to discuss the possibilities of implementing joint projects involving the unique historical heritage and current cultural trends of Uzbekistan.