Kazakhstan wants to move beyond the supplier-buyer model with Italy. The newly launched B5+ITALY platform is designed to turn strong trade flows into joint production, technology transfer and regional logistics projects linking Italy with the wider Central Asian market, DKNews.kz reports.
The platform was officially launched on September 18 at the Central Asia+Italy Business Platform Forum in Astana. The initiative builds on an expanding economic relationship: Kazakhstan’s trade with Italy reached $16.9 billion in 2025.
B5+ITALY starts with a practical agenda
The Astana forum brought together representatives of Kazakhstan, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
Kazakhstan was represented by Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliyev. The agenda focused on several practical areas that could define the next stage of cooperation:
- increasing Kazakhstan’s non-commodity exports to Italy;
- establishing joint production facilities;
- developing regional trade and logistics hubs;
- expanding transport connectivity;
- strengthening industrial and technological cooperation.
The B5+ITALY dialogue platform was initiated by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and is intended to strengthen business ties between Italy and the five Central Asian states.
«We are interested in making the platform a practical mechanism for direct interaction between Italian businesses and Central Asian countries, from trade and investment to industrial cooperation, transport, logistics, and new technologies,» emphasized Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan Arman Shakkaliyev.
Kazakhstan identifies $307 million in additional exports
Italy already occupies a major position in Kazakhstan’s foreign trade. Bilateral turnover amounted to $16.9 billion in 2025, while Kazakhstan’s exports accounted for approximately $15.6 billion.
The next objective is to diversify what Kazakhstan sells to the Italian market.
Astana has identified around 100 commodity items with an estimated additional export potential of $307 million. These include products from metallurgy, chemicals, food production, construction materials and mechanical engineering.
The figure is consistent with an assessment presented by Shakkaliyev ahead of the forum, when the Ministry of Trade and Integration estimated Kazakhstan’s additional export potential to Italy at approximately $307.5 million.
That makes diversification particularly important. The challenge is no longer simply to increase the headline turnover figure, but to expand the range of higher-value goods Kazakhstan supplies to one of its biggest European markets.
More than 300 Italian-backed companies operate in Kazakhstan
The investment relationship is also moving toward a more industrial model.
More than 300 enterprises with Italian capital currently operate in Kazakhstan, while cumulative Italian investment since independence has exceeded $9.5 billion.
Kazakhstan now wants a greater share of that cooperation to translate into factories, joint ventures and production chains.
«Our task is to move from a 'supplier-buyer' model to a deeper partnership model: production localization, creation of joint ventures, technology transfer, and the formation of new production chains,» noted Arman Shakkaliyev.
This approach could change the economic logic of bilateral relations. Instead of importing finished Italian technologies and exporting commodities, the two sides are discussing ways to combine investment, production expertise, local resources and access to regional markets.
Shymkent could become a new trade and industrial hub
One of the concrete ideas discussed at the forum concerns Shymkent.
The parties are considering establishing a trade and industrial hub in the city that could serve as a distribution point for Italian and Kazakh products across other regions.
«The issue of forming a hub for trade and industrial goods in Shymkent with subsequent distribution of products to other regions is being considered,» said Deputy Akim of Shymkent Aidyn Karimov.
Such a project could give Italian companies a foothold beyond Kazakhstan’s largest commercial centers while strengthening Shymkent’s role as a gateway to markets in southern Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
Logistics could turn Kazakhstan into a regional base
Transport and logistics formed a separate part of the discussions.
Participants addressed development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route and the possibility of establishing regional production and logistics hubs.
For Italian companies, Kazakhstan can serve not only as a destination market but also as a platform connecting European and Asian supply chains.
That creates opportunities beyond cargo transit. Warehouses, distribution centers, processing facilities and regional logistics platforms could emerge around growing transport corridors.
The importance of logistics had already been highlighted during bilateral talks ahead of the forum. Italy said it was prepared to share expertise and technologies to support further modernization of Kazakhstan’s logistics sector.
Direct air links are also on the agenda
Kazakhstan and Italy also intend to continue work on expanding direct air connectivity.
Better connections would support not only tourism but also business travel, investment negotiations and direct contacts between companies.
Transport connectivity therefore fits into the broader B5+ITALY concept: trade growth requires not only agreements between governments but also faster movement of people, goods and technologies.
Agriculture could move toward deeper processing
The agro-industrial sector is another area where Kazakhstan wants to change the structure of exports.
The country is interested in expanding supplies beyond grain and oilseeds toward higher-value processed products, including vegetable oils, protein products and flour.
For Kazakhstan, deeper agricultural processing means retaining more added value domestically before products reach foreign markets.
For Italian businesses, the sector could offer opportunities in food processing technologies, agricultural machinery, investment and joint production.
Critical minerals and green energy enter the agenda
The forum also covered critical minerals, green energy and sustainable development, agribusiness, energy and oilfield services.
These areas broaden B5+ITALY beyond bilateral trade statistics. The platform could become a mechanism through which Italian companies assess opportunities across Central Asia while regional businesses gain direct access to Italian technology, investment and markets.
The Kazakh-Italian Trade House, opened in Almaty in February 2026, provides another channel for developing those commercial ties.
The main test for B5+ITALY will now be practical implementation. Kazakhstan has already identified products with more than $300 million in additional export potential. The next step is converting that potential into contracts, localized production and investment projects.
Earlier, we reported that Kazakhstan and Italy had already begun preparing the ground for this stage of cooperation. Ahead of the Astana forum, Shakkaliyev said Kazakhstan saw about $307.5 million in additional export potential in the Italian market, particularly in metallurgy, petrochemicals, food, chemicals and mechanical engineering.
