Ilham Aliyev and Giorgia Meloni discuss Baku-Rome cooperation prospects

Azerbaijan and Italy are strategic partners, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said during a meeting with President of the Council of Ministers of Italy Giorgia Meloni.

"Your presence in Azerbaijan today is yet another testament to the profound substance of Azerbaijan-Italy relations," Ilham Aliyev said.

He stressed that for Azerbaijan, the Italian market is of primary importance for both oil and gas. Last year, Azerbaijan exported 25 billion cubic meters of natural gas, 9.5 billion of which was exported to the Italian market. 

The Azerbaijani leader noted that they held discussions to increase this volume.

"For this, of course, it is necessary to expand the TAP project, which is an integral part of the Southern Gas Corridor. It has already been expanded to a certain extent, but this process must continue," Ilham Aliyev said.

According to him, Italian companies have implemented and are currently implementing 23 projects in the liberated territories of Garabagh and East Zangezur.

The President of the Council of Ministers of Italy expressed confidence that the friendly relations between Italy and Azerbaijan will develop even further from now on and rise to even higher levels.

"We have reaffirmed once again that we must expand our cooperation even further," Giorgia Meloni said.