President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic, Giorgia Meloni, delivered joint statements to the press in Baku on May 4. The meeting underscored the deepening strategic ties between the two nations, focusing on energy cooperation, trade, and regional security.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, President Ilham Aliyev highlighted that Italy remains Azerbaijan's top trading partner, with a turnover reaching approximately $12 billion last year. "Our relations are based on strategic partnership declarations signed in 2014 and 2020," the President stated, noting that Azerbaijan provides a significant portion of Italy’s oil and gas needs. Prime Minister Meloni emphasized the importance of the Southern Gas Corridor and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) for European energy security. She also expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan for its assistance in evacuating Italian citizens from Iran and supporting the temporary relocation of the Italian embassy to Baku during the regional crisis.
The visit marks a significant milestone in bilateral diplomacy, being the first by an Italian Prime Minister to Azerbaijan in 13 years. Beyond energy, the two countries are expanding cooperation into military-technical fields and education, evidenced by the establishment of the Italy-Azerbaijan University in Baku. Italian companies are also actively involved in reconstruction projects in the liberated territories of Garabagh and East Zangazur, where they are currently implementing 23 different projects. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, with Meloni expressing Italy's full support for the peace process.
