BAKU, Monday, May 4, 2026 (WNP): President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on Monday said Azerbaijan and Italy were committed to further expanding cooperation across energy, trade, defence, and education sectors, describing the visit of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as a significant step in strengthening bilateral ties.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Meloni in Baku, President Aliyev warmly welcomed the Italian prime minister and expressed confidence that her visit would contribute to the continued development of relations between Azerbaijan and Italy.

Highlighting the strong energy partnership, Aliyev said Italy remained one of Azerbaijan’s key trading partners, ranking second in both oil and natural gas cooperation. He noted that Azerbaijan exports substantial volumes of gas annually, including significant supplies to Italy, and emphasized the mutual interest in further increasing these volumes and expanding energy projects.

The president also pointed to growing cooperation in defence and military technology, noting that both sides had discussed opportunities to deepen collaboration in this field, particularly through the use of advanced Italian technologies.

On economic ties, Aliyev said Azerbaijani investments in Italy had reached approximately $3 billion, while around 30 Italian companies were currently operating in Azerbaijan. He expressed the desire to see further growth in business engagement and investment flows between the two countries.

He noted that Italian firms were actively involved in development projects in the Karabakh region, with more than 20 projects underway, reflecting the expanding scope of bilateral economic cooperation.

Aliyev also highlighted collaboration in education, referring to the establishment of an Italy-Azerbaijan university, which currently hosts over 500 students and is expected to play a key role in strengthening people-to-people ties and fostering future cooperation.

Reaffirming Azerbaijan’s commitment to deepening relations with Italy, the president expressed appreciation for the visit and underscored the importance of continued engagement across multiple sectors to further enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries.