Azerbaijani president receives credentials of incoming Italian, Ukrainian envoys PHOTO

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev accepted the credentials of newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Italian Republic Luca Di Gianfrancesco on May 25, Azertag reports.

The ambassador presented his credentials to the head of state.

President Ilham Aliyev then had a conversation with the ambassador.

Expressing satisfaction with his appointment as ambassador to Azerbaijan, Ambassador Gianfrancesco conveyed the greetings of President Sergio Mattarella of Italy to President Ilham Aliyev.

President Ilham Aliyev expressed gratitude for the greetings and asked the ambassador to relay his own greetings back to the Italian President.

During the conversation, they emphasized the special character of the relations between the two countries, which are developing within the framework of strategic partnership.

The ambassador noted the successful development of relations in various areas, including science and education, and praised efforts to open Italian universities in Azerbaijan.

President Ilham Aliyev highlighted Italy's status as one of Azerbaijan's main trading partners within the European Union.

They hailed the dynamic development of political, humanitarian, economic, and educational cooperation between the two countries. They mentioned that relations between Azerbaijan and Italy began with the energy sector and expanded to cover various areas, including culture, information and communication technologies, transportation, and others.

The conversation also emphasized the active involvement of companies from Italy, a friendly and partnering country, in reconstruction and restoration works in Azerbaijan's liberated territories.

The meeting discussed the development of the Middle Corridor and explored prospects for cooperation in this context.

Furthermore, the meeting addressed Azerbaijan-EU relations and Italy's support, as an EU member, to Azerbaijan in this process.

Moreover, President Aliyev accepted the credentials of the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine Yuriy Husyev on May 25.

The ambassador presented his credentials to the head of state.

President Ilham Aliyev then had a conversation with the ambassador.

The Ambassador conveyed greetings from the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to which President Aliyev expressed his gratitude and requested that his own greetings be communicated to the Ukrainian President.

The head of state recalled his recent phone conversation with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a few days prior, noting that they discussed cooperation in the energy sector between the two countries.

The discussion highlighted the formation of friendly ties and good bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Ukraine since the restoration of their independence. They emphasized that both countries support each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The ambassador expressed his gratitude for the humanitarian assistance provided to Ukraine, particularly the rehabilitation projects organized in Azerbaijan for Ukrainian children.

Yuriy Husyev mentioned his visit to Lachin the previous day, expressing his admiration for the ongoing reconstruction and restoration works there. He also highlighted the establishment of sister-city relations between Irpin and Lachin.

The meeting saw an exchange of views on other issues of mutual interest.