Baku, September 30, 2025
Italian President Sergio Mattarella arrived in Azerbaijan on Tuesday for an official visit, his second trip to the country in seven years. He was welcomed at Heydar Aliyev International Airport with national flags and a guard of honor before being received at a formal ceremony in Baku by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
The two leaders held a private meeting followed by expanded talks with delegations. Speaking to reporters, Aliyev hailed Mattarella’s visit as proof of the “very successful development” of Azerbaijani-Italian relations, calling the two countries “true strategic partners.” He underlined that Italy is Azerbaijan’s largest trading partner, noting that Azerbaijani oil tops Italy’s energy balance while Azerbaijani gas ranks second.
“For many years we have supported each other as reliable partners,” Aliyev said, adding that such cooperation would have been impossible without “sincere relations and mutual trust.”
Aliyev also pointed to Italy’s consistent support for closer ties between Azerbaijan and the European Union. He said the two sides were now preparing feasibility studies for electricity exports to Europe, expanding on the Southern Gas Corridor and the TAP pipeline that began operating in 2020.
Tomorrow, the two presidents will inaugurate the new Italo-Azerbaijani University campus in Baku, a project Aliyev described as “a symbol of friendship” that will produce “ambassadors of Italian-Azerbaijani friendship” among its students.
Mattarella, for his part, expressed gratitude for the hospitality and stressed that bilateral relations are “broad and growing,” spanning energy, industry, culture, and education. He recalled his first visit to Baku in 2018, which coincided with Italian support for the TAP project, and praised the progress since then.
“Italy is proud of this friendship and intends to raise it to the highest level,” he said. He also highlighted Azerbaijan’s role in Europe’s energy security and reaffirmed Rome’s commitment to strengthening Baku’s ties with the EU.
Both leaders praised the upcoming cultural and educational initiatives as milestones in the partnership, underscoring that cooperation now extends well beyond energy. At the close of the day, Aliyev hosted an official reception in honor of Mattarella.
