MILAN, May 5. /Dunyo IA/. A business forum titled “Lombardy meets Samarkand: investment opportunities” was held in the Italian city of Milan, bringing together more than 120 Italian companies, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

The event was attended by the President of the Lombardy Region, Attilio Fontana, Regional Minister for Economic Development Guido Guidesi, as well as representatives of SACE, SIMEST, the Italian Trade Agency (ICE), and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti.

Attilio Fontana highlighted the growing ties with Samarkand and commended ongoing reforms in Uzbekistan, noting improvements in the investment climate. He also encouraged Lombardy-based companies to expand their presence in the Uzbek market.

As part of the forum, an analytical report on Uzbekistan’s business and legal environment for Italian companies was presented, prepared by Promos Italia in cooperation with Andersen Legal. The Uzbek side also introduced a project to establish a “Lombardy Industrial Zone” in the Bulungur district of the Samarkand region. Sectoral sessions focused on potential projects in agriculture, infrastructure, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and industry.

Following the talks, the parties reached agreements on expanding exports of Uzbek agricultural and textile products to Italy, implementing projects in the agricultural sector, attracting investment into textile certification and quality control systems, and localizing industrial equipment production in Uzbekistan.

Separately, Guido Guidesi announced a planned visit by a delegation of Italian companies to Uzbekistan in July to continue negotiations and visit the proposed industrial zone in Samarkand.