Italian TV shines spotlight on Azerbaijan: Geopolitical, cultural, digital hub PHOTO

In a weekly news program Tv7, the Italian broadcaster RAI aired an extensive report on Azerbaijan, highlighting the country’s strategic, cultural, and economic significance.

The report, produced by RAI journalist Barbara Carfagna, who was on assignment in Azerbaijan, features insights from Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, AZERTAC reports.

Hajiyev emphasized Azerbaijan’s unique geopolitical position:

"Azerbaijan is like a bird flying from West to East, being the westernmost country of the East and the easternmost country of the West. We are part of the Black Sea region, members of European institutions, and share the continent’s culture. At the same time, our country lies at the intersection of trade routes and traditional logistics hubs connecting the Middle East and Central Asia."

The program recalled the historic August 8 meeting in Washington between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, US President Donald Trump, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, which resulted in the signing of a Joint Declaration and the initialing of a peace agreement to establish intergovernmental relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The report underscores that this agreement marked the end of a 30-year conflict in Garabagh, with Trump accomplishing what previous leaders had been unable to achieve over decades.

The coverage highlighted the proposed transport corridor, dubbed the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP), which will traverse Armenia and connect mainland Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Analysts cited in the report suggest that this corridor could further elevate the Caspian region as a pivotal geopolitical hub, facilitating energy and digital connectivity while strengthening links between East and West.

The feature also examined restoration and reconstruction projects in Shusha, Azerbaijan’s cultural capital, noting that a newly opened five-star hotel has already hosted global dignitaries. Attention was also drawn to Fuzuli International Airport, described as a key gateway to Karabakh.

Hikmet Hajiyev further remarked that Aghdam, ravaged over nearly three decades of military aggression and occupation, has come to be known as the “Hiroshima of the Caucasus.”

"We aim to build a new, comprehensive security architecture for the South Caucasus," he stated, emphasizing Azerbaijan’s ambition to position the region as a crossroads in a multipolar world.

The report further detailed Azerbaijan’s initiatives in renewable energy, particularly in wind and solar power, and highlighted the strategic importance of a planned fiber-optic line across the Caspian Sea from Kazakhstan. This infrastructure is expected to enhance Azerbaijan’s role as a digital hub, handling significant volumes of data traffic and linking the country directly to Europe.

Cultural heritage was also a focal point of the coverage, with an in-depth look at the Gobustan State Historical-Artistic Reserve. The report described Azerbaijan as a millennia-old centre of migration and trade, rich in both cultural and natural assets. Gobustan, located 55 km from Baku, preserves over 6,000 petroglyphs and rock carvings dating from the 3rd–2nd millennium BCE to the Middle Ages, including the renowned Gavaldash rock, which the report calls the “stone memory of history.”

RAI has previously aired a series of features on Azerbaijan, consistently highlighting the country’s cultural, historical, and developmental achievements.

By Vafa Guliyeva