The summit of Central Asian countries and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will be held on May 5 in Samarkand. This was announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov following the third meeting of foreign ministers in the format of the Central Asia – GCC strategic dialogue.
“We are looking forward to the Samarkand Summit on May 5 – an important milestone on the way to deepening ties between our regions. United by common values, strategic potential and unity of vision, we are building a new chapter in cooperation between Central Asia and the Gulf states,” the Uzbek Foreign Minister wrote on his telegram channel.
The first Central Asia-Italy summit scheduled for April 27 in Astana has been postponed at the request of the Italian side. The reason for the postponement was the participation of Italian Prime Minister Giorgi Meloni in mourning events on the occasion of the death of Pope Francis. New dates for the visit and the summit will be agreed upon and announced later.
The summit was supposed to be the first meeting in the Central Asia-Italy format with the participation of the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The following issues were expected to be discussed.
Development of a strategic partnership between Italy and the countries of Central Asia.
Strengthening economic and trade ties.
Cooperation in the field of energy and sustainable development.
Discussion of regional security and cultural and humanitarian exchange.
The summit was expected to sign agreements and joint statements aimed at expanding cooperation between Italy and the countries of the region.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni postponed her visit to Kazakhstan and participation in the summit due to the need to attend mourning events in memory of Pope Francis, who died on April 21, 2025. Italy has declared five days of national mourning.
Despite the postponement, both sides expressed interest in holding the summit in the near future. New dates for the Italian Prime Minister’s visit and the Central Asia-Italy summit are expected to be agreed upon in the coming weeks.
President of the European Council Antonio Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will visit Uzbekistan on April 3-4 to participate in the first EU-Central Asia Summit.
The summit will be chaired by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and will be attended by the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
During the summit, the EU is expected to reaffirm its commitment to expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including transport and digital interconnectivity – within the region and with the EU, strategic raw materials, economy and security, and the transition to clean and efficient energy sources.
“The first EU-Central Asia Summit will strengthen our commitment to work together for peace, security and sustainable development, in full respect of international law,” said António Costa.
An agreement between Ukraine and the EU on security guarantees will be signed on Thursday in Brussels at a meeting of the European Council.
“We will have a special guest, whose name we are not allowed to mention, but you all wrote about it, so we don’t have to confirm it. And you also know that tomorrow, after the family photo (of the EU leaders – IF-U), a security commitment (between Ukraine and the EU – IF-U) will be signed,” a senior European diplomat told reporters in Brussels on Thursday.
He did not name the “special guest,” but earlier European media had reported on the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Brussels.
The EU summit will be held in Brussels on June 27-28.
Answering journalists’ questions about how similar the content of this document is to the many security agreements already signed with the EU countries, the diplomat noted that “not all member states have signed agreements with Ukraine.” “The EU is a kind of umbrella in which everyone will assume obligations, and everyone will contribute by approving these security commitments,” the source explained.
At the same time, he emphasized the importance of the current meeting of the European Council, which will be the first after the elections to the European Parliament. “This is a new cycle that opens now with a clear idea of what the strategic agenda will be, how the leaders of the European Council intend to shape other institutions and work for the next five years – this is one part of the decision that will be made, and the second part is the names and team that will be responsible for implementing and working on this program,” the diplomat explained.
The EU leaders are expected to approve candidates for senior positions in the EU: President of the European Commission (the leaders are expected to approve the current President Ursula von der Leyen for a second term), President of the European Council (previously discussed the candidacy of former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa), High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (previously nominated for this position was Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas) and President of the European Parliament (discussed the re-election. ..).
In addition, the agenda will include issues of competitiveness, security and defense, migration, and the Middle East.
The Peace Summit, which will open on Saturday, June 15, in Switzerland, will be attended by 100 delegations, of which 92 represent states from around the world and 8 – international organizations, according to the press service of the Swiss government.
“President Viola Amerd will open the Summit on Peace in Ukraine on Saturday, June 15. The summit will be attended by 100 delegations, including 57 heads of state and government from around the world. The purpose of the summit is to launch a peace process, build trust and identify ideas on the next steps towards such a process. All states present should be given the opportunity to put forward their vision of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” the statement said.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that his country is ready to host and organize the 2025 Ukraine Recovery Conference, the Italian Foreign Ministry website reports.
“The Italian government is firmly committed to supporting the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine, as evidenced by the wide and authoritative presence of our business community in Berlin. We have also put this issue at the center of our G7 presidency: we expect concrete results from the Conference and are ready to take over the organization of its holding in Italy in 2025,” Tayati said at the annual Ukraine Recovery Conference, which this time took place in Berlin.
The politician also added that Italy’s bilateral assistance amounts to more than two billion euros. This is the amount excluding military aid and the contribution to the pan-European aid.
“The 2025 Recovery Conference will be attended by heads of state and government from 77 countries: a total of about 1,800 participants are expected. 500 companies will be invited, including 150 from Germany, 150 from Ukraine and 200 from other participating countries,” the Foreign Ministry added.
