Azerbaijan, Italy Open 'New Chapter' of Relations with Technico-Military Cooperation

Azerbaijan and Italy have announced a major development in their bilateral relations by starting military-technical cooperation. This announcement was made during a meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto.

The meeting in Baku included a delegation from Italy, featuring Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Edmondo Cirielli, as reported by APA. President Aliyev highlighted Italy's advanced military-technical industry and pointed to the delivery of the C-27J Spartan military transport aircraft to Azerbaijan as a testament to the strong ties between the two nations.

President Aliyev emphasized the strategic partnership that Azerbaijan and Italy share in various fields. He noted that Italy plays a crucial role in Azerbaijan's trade relations with Europe, with a trade turnover exceeding $15 billion. This economic relationship is supported by significant cooperation in the oil and natural gas sectors, which is vital not only for Azerbaijan and Italy but for the whole of Europe.

Aliyev said that the strong political relations between Azerbaijan and Italy have been crucial in building these developments. The Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Italy forms the foundation of their bilateral relations.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto expressed his gratitude for the warm reception and congratulated President Aliyev on the occasion of Armed Forces Day. Crosetto praised the initiation of defense industry cooperation between the two countries, marking it as a notable step forward in their bilateral relations.