On May 4, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev held an expanded meeting with the President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic, Giorgia Meloni. The high-level discussions focused on the further strengthening of the strategic partnership between the two nations across multiple sectors, including energy, infrastructure, and regional connectivity.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that during the meeting, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized the significance of the visit, stating: "Madam Prime Minister, members of the delegation, welcome once again. We had excellent negotiations on various aspects. Now we will continue our talks in an expanded format. Your visit to us coming from Armenia is very symbolic. This once again shows the friendly attitude towards Azerbaijan. We have the same attitude towards Italy. Your visit today will be very decisive in the development of our strategic relations."
President of the Council of Ministers of Italy Giorgia Meloni expressed her satisfaction with the visit, noting that Azerbaijan is a vital partner for Italy. "It is an honor and a pleasure for me to be here. I believe it was important to come here because Azerbaijan is a very important partner for Italy. Despite this, I realized that an Italian Prime Minister has not visited here since 2013. This seems quite strange to me. Therefore, I believe this visit was truly important because our cooperation is indeed very extensive. We cooperate in many strategic areas—certainly energy, infrastructure, connectivity, and culture," she said. Meloni further highlighted Azerbaijan's role as a strategic bridge between the Caspian and Mediterranean regions.
Italy remains Azerbaijan's primary trading partner within the European Union, a relationship largely anchored by the energy sector. The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), a key segment of the Southern Gas Corridor, delivers Azerbaijani natural gas directly to Italy, playing a critical role in the energy security of Southern Europe. In recent years, the bilateral agenda has expanded to include significant cooperation in the restoration of the liberated territories in Garabagh, where Italian companies are actively involved in infrastructure and architectural projects.
