By President Ilham Aliyev

Copyright trend

BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 1.​ Political,
economic, and cultural relations between Azerbaijan and Italy have
steadily developed since Azerbaijan’s independence, reaching a
strategic partnership in recent years, political analyst Azer
Garayev told Trend.

Garayev highlighted that Italy has become one of Azerbaijan’s
key trade and energy partners.

“Italy is not only a leading trade partner but also a central
player in energy cooperation. Azerbaijan primarily exports crude
oil and natural gas to Italy, while Italy supplies industrial
equipment, technologies, machinery, food products, and luxury goods
to Azerbaijan,” he said.

The political analyst emphasized that Italy stands as
Azerbaijan’s top export partner.

“Italy is Azerbaijan’s largest export market, with crude oil
shipments to Italy accounting for over half of the country’s total
oil exports. In the first eight months of this year, approximately
9.1 million tons of crude oil were exported to Italy, valued at
around $4.8 billion, marking a 47.7 percent increase in both volume
and 21.8 percent in value compared to the same period last

Crude oil exports from Azerbaijan to Italy account for nearly 58
percent of the country’s total oil exports, underscoring the
central role of energy cooperation in Azerbaijani-Italian
relations. Energy cooperation, particularly through the Southern
Gas Corridor and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), has
strengthened these ties, enabling Azerbaijani gas to reach Europe
via Italy. TAP, operational since 2020, delivers natural gas to
Italy’s Apulia region and positions Italy as a strategic transit
and consumer country for Azerbaijan’s European gas exports,” he

Garayev noted that the visit of Italian President Sergio
Mattarella to Azerbaijan further underscores the depth of bilateral

“The joint statements by President Ilham Aliyev and Italian
President Sergio Mattarella on September 30 highlighted the depth
and multidimensional nature of relations between the two countries.
In their addresses, both leaders emphasized not only political and
energy cooperation but also the expansion of partnerships in
education, culture, and engagement with the European Union (EU),”
the expert said.

The political analyst noted that one of the most noteworthy
moments of the visit was the inauguration of the Italy-Azerbaijan
University.

“This initiative represents more than educational collaboration;
it will act as a bridge connecting the two peoples for future
generations. In the energy sector, the successful implementation of
the TAP and Southern Gas Corridor projects positions Azerbaijan as
a key player in Europe’s, particularly Italy’s, energy security.
President Mattarella underscored Azerbaijan’s reliability as a
partner and signaled that bilateral relations will be elevated to
the highest level. The statements also reaffirmed Italy’s active
role in advancing Azerbaijan’s ties with the EU and its continued
support in this regard,” he concluded.

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