President Ilham Aliyev Meets Italian PM Giorgia Meloni in Rome

Rome, The Gulf Observer: On September 5, President Ilham Aliyev of the Republic of Azerbaijan met with Giorgia Meloni, President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic, in Rome, as reported by NHC. The meeting was marked by a ceremonial guard of honor at the Chigi Palace, where President Aliyev was warmly welcomed by President Meloni.

During the visit, both leaders reviewed the guard of honor and were introduced to their respective delegations before posing for photographs. The initial one-on-one discussion expanded to include broader delegations from both countries.

Giorgia Meloni characterized President Aliyev’s visit as highly productive, with in-depth discussions on advancing Italy-Azerbaijan relations. Key topics included expanding economic and trade cooperation, particularly in the industry and energy sectors. The conversation also highlighted the Italy-Azerbaijan University project, a collaboration between ADA University and Italian institutions, aimed at enhancing humanitarian and cultural connections.

Both leaders praised the bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, with a particular emphasis on the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project, which is crucial for Italy and European energy security. They also explored opportunities to increase TAP’s transmission capacity.

President Meloni expressed appreciation for Azerbaijan’s humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and confirmed Italy’s readiness to support the successful organization of COP29, scheduled to be held in Azerbaijan. She also mentioned the collaboration between Italy’s climate change representatives and Azerbaijan’s COP delegation, noting the participation of Azerbaijan’s COP29 President-Designate in the recent G7 environment ministers meeting in Italy.

Further discussions included potential collaborations between Italy’s Eni S.p.A and Azerbaijan’s SOCAR, as well as joint investment projects in third countries. The leaders emphasized the strategic importance of the Middle Corridor and explored opportunities for Italian companies to engage in this route.

The role of the Italy-Azerbaijan economic cooperation commission was also addressed, with an agreement to hold its next meeting in the coming year.

President Ilham Aliyev extended an invitation for President Meloni to visit Azerbaijan officially, to which she responded positively, accepting the invitation with enthusiasm.