President Ilham Aliyev has extended his congratulations to the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Italian Republic.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, the congratulatory message reads as follows:
"Dear Mr. President,
It gives me great pleasure to convey my heartfelt congratulations to you and, through you, to your friendly people on the occasion of the momentous date – the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Italian Republic, on my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan.
Italy is a close friend and a reliable strategic partner of Azerbaijan. I am pleased that the relations between our countries are developing in a spirit of mutual respect and trust, and our multidimensional strategic partnership is expanding day by day and being enriched with new content. We attach special importance to the development of our relations with Italy in all areas.
Your second official visit to Azerbaijan last October is a testament to the high level of our interstate relations and the political dialogue between us. Our joint participation in the opening of the Italy-Azerbaijan University during the visit is a manifestation of the attention paid at the highest level to the development of cultural and humanitarian ties between our countries.
The high level of our political relations plays an important role in the development of Azerbaijan-Italy cooperation. Today, the spectrum of issues on our bilateral agenda is very broad. Our cooperation, which ranges from successful economic-trade, energy, and industrial production partnerships to education and covers new areas every year, is of a strategic nature. The full realization of the existing potential of our economic relations and the diversification of cooperation in investment, defense, humanitarian, and other new directions are among the main tasks before us.
I am confident that we will continue to successfully pursue our joint efforts to strengthen the Azerbaijan-Italy friendship and reliable partnership and to comprehensively expand our cooperation.
On this pleasant day, I wish you good health, happiness, and success in your endeavors, and the friendly people of Italy lasting peace and prosperity."
Context: Azerbaijan and Italy maintain a robust strategic partnership, particularly in the energy sector, where Italy serves as a primary destination for Azerbaijani natural gas exports. The bilateral relationship has deepened significantly in recent years, characterized by high-level diplomatic visits and collaborative projects in education and culture, such as the establishment of the Italy-Azerbaijan University in Baku.
