Azerbaijan, Italy revive economic commission after six-year pause

Azerbaijan and Italy are set to convene a meeting of their Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation after a six-year pause.

According to domestic media, citing Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Energy, the sixth session of the commission will be held in Baku on January 13. The Azerbaijani delegation will be led by Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov, while Italy will be represented by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Edmondo Cirielli.

The previous, fifth meeting of the intergovernmental commission took place on January 14, 2020, in Rome.

Economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Italy covers a broad range of sectors, including energy, industry, education, and reconstruction efforts. The two countries maintain a strategic partnership, with Italy supporting the development of Azerbaijan’s relations with the European Union. Italian companies have also been invited to take part in reconstruction and rehabilitation projects in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories.

Energy cooperation remains central to bilateral ties. Between January and October 2025, Azerbaijan exported 7.9 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Italy, valued at $3.88 billion, accounting for 38% of Azerbaijan’s total gas exports. Although export volumes declined by 2% compared with the same period in 2024, the overall value of exports rose by 19.3%.

Italy continues to rank among Azerbaijan’s key trading partners. From January to November 2025, trade turnover between the two countries reached $11.2428 billion, a 9% increase year on year, representing 25.21% of Azerbaijan’s total foreign trade.

Crude oil remains the dominant component of bilateral trade. Over the first 11 months of last year, Azerbaijan exported 12.67 million tonnes of crude oil to Italy, worth $6.5246 billion. This represented an increase of 6.2% in value and 28.5% in volume compared with the same period in 2024.

By Tamilla Hasanova