Euronews: Italy’s PM Meloni expected to visit Azerbaijan in coming weeks

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is anticipated to travel to Azerbaijan in the coming weeks, signaling another advance in the growing bilateral relationship between the two countries, Euronews reports.

The visit, expected between May and June, forms part of an ongoing structure of political dialogue and economic cooperation between Rome and Baku.

Energy continues to stand as a key foundation of relations between Italy and Azerbaijan, with Azerbaijani natural gas reaching Italy through the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which is integrated into the wider Southern Gas Corridor connecting the Caspian basin to Europe.

Luca Schieppati, TAP managing director, told Euronews that since the beginning of commercial operations, the pipeline has supplied over 47.5 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas to Italy.

He further noted that, according to Italian joint-stock company SNAM SpA, “in 2025 gas transported via TAP covered around 16% of Italy’s total gas demand.”

Schieppati added that TAP’s overall deliveries to Europe have exceeded 57 bcm, reinforcing diversification of supply routes and enhancing the resilience of the European gas network.

He also emphasized that Italy remains the primary destination for Azerbaijani gas via TAP and a central gateway for pipeline flows into the European market.

Operational data show that in 2025 TAP represented about 16.5% of Italy’s total gas imports and roughly 25% of its pipeline gas imports, excluding liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Recent technical improvements at the compressor station in Greece have raised long-term capacity by 1.2 bcm per year, further strengthening transport performance.

Annual supply figures indicate stable volumes in recent years: 6.83 bcm in 2021, 9.69 bcm in 2022, 9.37 bcm in 2023, 9.76 bcm in 2024, and 9.46 bcm in 2025, with more than 2.4 bcm already delivered this year.

Although TAP functions as an independent commercial transmission operator, Schieppati underlined that “high-level bilateral engagements between Italy and Azerbaijan provide an opportunity to reaffirm long-standing cooperation in the energy sector and the strategic importance of the Southern Gas Corridor.”

By Jeyhun Aghazada