Azerbaijani president hails GIP's partnership with SOFAZ In a meeting with company’s CEO

On December 8, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met with Adebayo Ogunlesi, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), Caliber.Az reports, citing the Azerbaijani president's official website.

President Aliyev praised GIP’s partnership with the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), highlighting successful joint investments in the high-speed rail operator Italo and London’s Gatwick Airport as examples of effective collaboration. He also underscored the importance of GIP’s partnership in the context of Azerbaijan’s long-term development strategy.

Adebayo Ogunlesi said that cooperation with SOFAZ has yielded tangible results and emphasized that investments made through GIP-managed funds have established a robust model of partnership between the two entities. He noted GIP’s international experience in optimizing airports, logistics and transport corridors, and energy projects, including renewable energy, and expressed interest in working with Azerbaijan in the fields of energy transition, transportation, and digital infrastructure.

During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on ongoing GIP infrastructure projects and discussed emerging trends shaped by the global energy transition. Collaboration within international initiatives for artificial intelligence technologies was also addressed.

Global Infrastructure Partners, founded in 2006 and acquired in 2024 by BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management company, currently manages approximately $189 billion in assets.

By Khagan Isayev