A lengthy article on Azerbaijan-Italy relations was published in the newspaper “Formiche”, one of the leading press organisations in Italy.
AZERTAC reports that the article states that these two strategic partner countries have strong trade relations and emphasizes the importance of strengthening the special weight of relations in the context of new geopolitical challenges. It should be noted that Azerbaijan, located at the intersection of Asia and Europe, promotes diversity and embraces the values of different cultures and civilizations. These factors allow it to play the role of a real bridge.
Azerbaijan’s role
There is a fine but decisive geopolitical thread that connects Italy to Central Asia and is represented in the relations with a key country such as Azerbaijan, situated in a very important geographical position: Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece and Albania form two absolutely strategic quadrants, the Euro-Mediterranean and Caucasian countries that do.
The material underlines that Italy is Azerbaijan’s main trading partner, while official Baku is Rome’s main trading partner in the South Caucasus region. Strong trade relations between the two countries are reinforced by the special weight of potential influence in this region in the context of new geopolitical challenges. Three months ago, the President of Azerbaijan, where there are strong relations between our countries, Ilham Aliyev It should be noted that in Baku he met with the Italian Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, and with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of that country, Edmondo Chirielli.
The article also highlights that our country will host the 29th session (COP29) of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in November. It is reported that Italy will make a special contribution to this international event.
Relations between Baku and Rome
The article draws attention to the fact that the Italian company will equip the new Azerbaijani power plant with 4 gas turbines within the framework of the contract signed last year between “Ansaldo Energia” and “AzerEnergy” worth 160 million euros. At the same time, it is reported that the Italian company “Leonardo” has supplied Azerbaijan with military transport aircraft of the “C-27J Spartan” type within the framework of the military-technical modernization program of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.
It is noted that bilateral relations include not only defense, but also education and culture. Agreements on academic cooperation were signed between Azerbaijan’s ADA University and five leading Italian higher education institutions: Luiss Guido Carli University, Sapienza University of Rome, Polytechnic University of Turin, Alma Mater University of Bologna and Polytechnic University of Milan within the framework of cooperation in Italy. Azerbaijan University located in Baku.
Energy cooperation
The author talks about our country’s contribution to Italy’s energy supply and stresses that the TAP gas pipeline, which is the European part of the Southern Gas Corridor project, which transports natural gas produced at the “Shahdeniz 2” field in Azerbaijan to the “old continent”, plays the role of a “safety cushion” for European partners. He notes that so far about 26 billion cubic meters of natural gas have been transported to Europe using TAP. The TAP pipeline, which connects with the TANAP pipeline on the border with Turkey, reaches northern Greece, Albania, and then crosses the Adriatic Sea and reaches the coast of the Italian region of Puglia. In addition to being an objective and fundamental contribution from a technical point of view, the gas pipeline represents a political infrastructure that unites the interests of all the countries through which the line passes.
COP29 and the Forum for Intercultural Dialogue
The article underlines that Azerbaijan’s role is not limited to energy: its activities continue in two programmatic lines, such as the organization of the upcoming COP in November and intercultural dialogue. The VI World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue was held this year in the capital of the country as part of the “Baku Process” initiated by Azerbaijan in 2008 in close cooperation with major international partners as a global initiative aimed at promoting intercultural dialogue. It is an important platform for governments, international organizations, experts, scientists, politicians and others to engage in meaningful discussions on the evolving dynamics of intercultural communication and global security in the context of communication with each other.
