BOLOGNA, November 3. /Dunyo IA/.  Namangan Region and the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna have agreed to develop interregional cooperation, attract investments and implement joint projects in industry, agriculture and the textile sector, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

Agreements were reached during a meeting between a delegation from the Namangan Region, led by Governor Shavkat Abdurazzakov and President of Emilia-Romagna Michele de Pascale, during the Uzbek delegation’s visit to Italy.

Parties noted the alignment of economic priorities between the two regions, particularly in manufacturing development and the output of high-value-added products.

Within the framework of the talks, the sides agreed on establishing direct interregional ties, organizing mutual delegation visits and attracting Italian investments to the Namangan Region.

Emilia-Romagna is considered one of the most developed regions in Italy. Its gross regional product exceeds 203 billion euros and the region ranks second in the country in terms of GRP per capita.

Region possesses advanced industries, mechanical engineering, automotive manufacturing, and food production. It is home to world-renowned companies such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Ducati, Max Mara, Technogym, Pagani, Dallara and Barilla.

To strengthen business ties, “Namangan and Italy” and “Namangan and Emilia-Romagna” business forums were held in Bologna and Rome. Representatives from over 100 leading companies participated in the events, and numerous B2B meetings took place.

Participants discussed opportunities for trade and investment cooperation in agriculture, mechanical engineering, the textile industry, and logistics. Special attention was paid to the access of Namangan Region enterprises to the Italian market, expanding export geography, and launching joint ventures.

During the visit, talks were also held with executives of major Italian companies and industry associations. In particular, significant investment and export agreements were signed with Vinarjia Marko, SMI Group, Gamma Meccanica and Bonifiche Ferraresi in the fields of food processing, industrial manufacturing and intensive horticulture.

A separate area of the negotiations was the employment of citizens of Uzbekistan in Italy. A project to attract Uzbek specialists from the agricultural sector for seasonal work has been officially launched.

As part of the first group, 40 citizens of Uzbekistan have already arrived in Italy. Representatives of the delegation visited their places of residence and work, interacted with the workers and assessed their working conditions. Following the conversations, it was revealed that they positively evaluate the wage levels, as well as the provision of housing and transportation by the employer.

Furthermore, further employment of Uzbek citizens in agriculture was discussed with the Italian company Salvi. The parties agreed to attract approximately 1,000 more citizens of Uzbekistan to work in Italy in subsequent years.

Another area of cooperation involved agricultural projects. During meetings with representatives of the Italian Ministry for Regional Affairs and Autonomies and the leadership of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), an agreement was reached on the joint preparation of grant projects for orchard renewal, the introduction of drip irrigation, and the development of aquaculture and “smart farming”.

Agreements reached mark the next stage in expanding Uzbek-Italian economic ties and developing direct cooperation between the regions of the two countries.