President Aliyev hails Italy, China as Azerbaijan's strategic partners

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has highlighted Azerbaijan’s strategic partnerships with both Italy and China and underscored the country’s rising role in ensuring European energy security.

“Both Italy and China are strategic partners of Azerbaijan,” said President Aliyev during the inauguration ceremony of the “8 November” Power Plant in Mingachevir on June 24, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

The head of state noted that strategic partnership declarations have been signed with both countries and emphasised that numerous visits he made to these nations have yielded excellent results in many areas. President Ilham Aliyev highlighted that Italy is Azerbaijan’s number one trade partner, while China also ranks among the country’s leading trade partners.

Addressing Azerbaijan’s role in the energy landscape, President Aliyev stated: “Today, Azerbaijan is among the countries ensuring Europe’s energy security, and it is no coincidence that the European Union refers to Azerbaijan as a reliable partner and pan-European gas supplier.”

He revealed that Azerbaijani gas is now exported via pipelines to 12 countries, adding: “It is precisely because of this indicator and the geographical coverage of our gas supply that Azerbaijan ranks among the leading countries globally. Naturally, many countries use Azerbaijani gas to ensure their energy security.”

Touching upon regional peace, President Aliyev said: “For five years, peace has been fully ensured in Azerbaijan, and of course, the sooner peace is established beyond our borders, the better it will be both for those countries and naturally for us as well.”

He further added, “The reality is that today our country is recognised worldwide as a place of stability, development, and progress, and we have earned this reputation through our own labor, efforts, and well-considered policies.”

Reflecting on Mingachevir’s role in Azerbaijan’s energy development, the president noted: “Mingachevir has a rich history as an energy center, and the strong human capital developed here has undoubtedly played a vital role in achieving today’s successes.”

“Over the past 20 years, we have virtually rebuilt Azerbaijan’s energy system from scratch. New power plants have been constructed across different regions of our country. At the same time, reconstruction works have been carried out in Mingachevir as well,” he concluded.

By Khagan Isayev