Rome: On September 5, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held a meeting with Giorgia Meloni, President of the Council of Ministers of Italy, at the Chigi Palace in Rome. The leaders discussed strengthening bilateral ties, particularly in the fields of energy, trade, and culture, APA reports.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, a guard of honor was arranged for President Aliyev upon his arrival, and he was welcomed by Meloni. The two leaders reviewed the guard of honor before proceeding to a one-on-one meeting, which later expanded to include delegations from both countries. Meloni described Aliyev’s visit as highly productive, with talks centered on deepening economic collaboration, especially in the energy sector, where both sides hailed the importance of the TAP project, a key initiative for Europe’s energy security. Additionally, they discussed potential expansions of the TAP pipeline and the Italy-Azerbaijan University partnership.

Meloni expressed gratitude for Azerbaijan’s humanitarian aid to Ukraine and accepted Aliyev’s invitation to attend COP29 in Azerbaijan. The meeting also covered joint investment opportunities and collaboration between Italian firm Eni S.p.A and Azerbaijan’s SOCAR in third countries.