Rome: "For us, the Italian market is of primary importance for both oil and gas. Last year, Azerbaijan exported 25 billion cubic meters of natural gas, of which 9.5 billion were exported to the Italian market," Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said during a joint press statement with President of the Council of Ministers of Italy Giorgia Meloni, APA reports.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, discussions are currently underway to increase the volume of natural gas exports to Italy. President Aliyev highlighted the necessity of expanding the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project, which is a crucial component of the Southern Gas Corridor. The expansion of TAP is ongoing, and it has already reached certain milestones, but further efforts are needed to meet the growing demand in the Italian energy market.