Meloni’s Caucasus tour: declarations in Yerevan, concrete deals in Baku Article by Italian media

The Italian website Decode39 has published an article by Emanuele Rossi, dedicated to the visit of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to Yerevan and Baku. Caliber.Az presents selected excerpts from the piece.

"Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni used the EPC summit in Yerevan to reinforce transatlantic alignment and advance multilateral cooperation, while in Baku she upgraded ties with Azerbaijan across energy, industry and security. The trip unfolds against a growing geopolitical contest in the South Caucasus, where Europe, the U.S., Russia and regional powers compete over corridors, resources and influence.

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has wrapped a two-stop trip to Yerevan and Baku, pairing political messaging in Armenia with concrete deals in Azerbaijan — and signaling a more active Italian role along Europe’s eastern and southern periphery.

The back-to-back visits signal an attempt to stay balanced in a region while upgrading ties with Azerbaijan. The trip fits into a broader push to anchor Italy within a more strategic EU posture in the 'wider Mediterranean.'

At the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, Meloni leaned heavily on the transatlantic axis.

She reaffirmed Italy’s alignment with the U.S. and NATO, pushing back against any reduction of American military presence in the country.

At the same time, she urged Europe to move beyond crisis management toward a long-term strategic posture — especially on energy, migration and security.

According to Meloni, the EU needs a clearer focus on its geographic neighborhood, starting with the Mediterranean and its extensions.

The Caucasus contest

Yerevan hosted dozens of leaders as a new geopolitical contest takes shape in the South Caucasus — a corridor linking Europe to Asia while bypassing Russia, and a gateway to Central Asia’s energy and mineral resources.

The region’s importance is rising amid instability in Iran and shifting great-power attention.

The U.S. is expanding its footprint, including a joint project with Armenia to manage a transport corridor linking Azerbaijan to its exclave of Nakhchivan, with potential extensions to energy and digital infrastructure.

Turkey and Iran are also asserting influence in a region long dominated by Moscow.

Russia is pushing back, reminding Armenia of its reliance on Russian energy and maintaining a military presence in the country.

Baku’s centrality

The stop in Baku delivered the most concrete outcomes.

Standing alongside President Ilham Aliyev, Meloni described the visit as politically significant — the first by an Italian prime minister in 13 years.

'For me, today has a significant political value for the relations between our nations,' she said, adding that it was 'necessary to fill this gap.'

Aliyev called Italy a 'strategic partner,' stressing that 'our political relations are at the highest level.'

Energy first

Energy remains the backbone — but the scope is expanding. The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) continues to anchor bilateral ties. Azerbaijani supplies have been 'decisive' for Italy’s energy security since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Meloni framed energy and connectivity as 'two sides of the same coin,' pointing to Azerbaijan’s role as a hub between Europe and Asia.

Economic ties are scaling up alongside energy:Azerbaijani investments in Italy total about $3 billion. Roughly 130 Italian companies operate in Azerbaijan, including in Karabakh. A business forum planned for 2026 aims to translate political alignment into commercial deals. Aliyev pointed to a 'new page' in military ties, including areas where 'there are Italian technologies.' Italy is focusing on aerospace, maritime security, protection of critical infrastructure and advanced technologies, with an emphasis on long-term industrial cooperation.

The regional angle

Meloni maintained a calibrated line on regional dynamics.

She reiterated Italy’s support for normalization between Azerbaijan and Armenia, calling it a potential 'historic turning point,' and discussed the Iran crisis, thanking Baku for assisting Italy during evacuation and diplomatic operations.

The trip ties together several elements of Italy’s foreign policy: energy diversification, industrial partnerships and a stronger diplomatic presence in regions where infrastructure and geopolitics intersect.

Meloni’s South Caucasus tour combined political messaging in Yerevan with concrete agreements in Baku. The result: a clearer Italian push to deepen energy, economic and security ties in a region increasingly relevant for Europe," Emanuele Rossi wrote.