"Azerbaijan and Italy successfully develop bilateral relations. Political relations between the two countries are very positive, and the visit of the Prime Minister of Italy to Baku is a clear proof of this”.

The statement came from President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev at a joint press conference with the head of the Cabinet of Ministers of Italy, Enrico Letta.

The President of Azerbaijan said, Baku and Rome are actively cooperating in the framework of international organizations.

President Ilham Aliyev has drawn attention to the fact that Italy is one of the leading trade partners of Azerbaijan. He expressed confidence that Enrico Letta’s visit to Baku will also contribute to a greater diversification of trade relations. "We want to see a greater number of Italian companies in Azerbaijan, including as investors", said the President of Azerbaijan, stressing his country`s interest in joint projects with industrial companies in Italy.

The President said that during the talks with the Prime Minister of Italy they also touched upon the energy issues. According to Aliyev, energy cooperation has opened a new page in relations between Baku and Rome, as well as played an important role in the direction of expansion of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European Union.

President Ilham Aliyev stressed that energy projects implemented by official Baku are important from the point of view of the European energy security, and play a key role in the context of the country’s access to bigger markets.

The Head of State noted that Azerbaijan has large oil and gas reserves. "The Republic has diversified its supplies, but, of course, is looking for new markets for the long term," he said.

The Azerbaijani President has called a statement about choosing the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) voiced in late June to be an important strategic decision. According to him, the decision was made on the basis of "fair selection" and is profitable from an economic point of view. "The choice of TAP is very important for Italy and Europe," said Ilham Aliyev, pointing out that this project successfully combines energy supplying states, large markets and transit countries.

Next, the President drew attention to the fact that Azerbaijan is a neighbor of the European Union, actively involved in various programs of the EU. The interaction in the energy sector is one of the most important bars in the relations between Baku and Brussels, and Italy as a whole supports the process.

President Ilham Aliyev also said that he informed Enrico Leta about regional security, in particular, the fact of occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia.

"The settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be based on international law, as well as take into account the fact of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. All this, of course, will improve the situation in the region as a whole”, the president said.

In conclusion, the head of state reiterated his hope that the successful partnership between Azerbaijan and Italy will expand and reach a higher level in the coming years.

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