Azerbaijan, Italy pledge to deepen strategic partnership

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has held a telephone conversation with Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, to discuss the current state of and prospects for strategic partnership between the two nations.

The FMs welcomed the increasingly active high-level political dialogue between Azerbaijan and Italy, highlighting a series of recent high-level engagements that they said underscored the strategic nature of bilateral ties and the dynamic development of cooperation based on mutual trust, Caliber.Az reports, citing Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry.

They pointed to Italian President Sergio Mattarella's state visit to Azerbaijan last autumn, the January meeting of the Azerbaijan–Italy Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's visit to Azerbaijan in May as key milestones in advancing bilateral relations.

The sides also emphasized the importance of maintaining political dialogue and reciprocal high-level visits, while further expanding cooperation in trade, energy, transport, industry, investment, education, and other sectors.

The ministers noted that the Azerbaijan–Italy Business Forum, scheduled for this autumn, would provide an important platform for deepening bilateral economic cooperation.

They also stressed the significance of the conference to be held in September in partnership with The European House – Ambrosetti, describing it as an important opportunity to further strengthen political and economic dialogue between the two countries.

Welcoming the successful cooperation in the energy sector, the ministers highlighted the partnership between SOCAR and Italy's Italiana Petroli (IP), including SOCAR's acquisition of the company, as one of the key pillars of bilateral economic relations. They underscored the importance of expanding mutually beneficial projects and exploring new avenues for cooperation.

The phone talk also featured an exchange of views on the post-conflict peace agenda in the South Caucasus, the situation in the Middle East, and other regional security issues.

By Vafa Guliyeva