As previously reported, a joint working lunch between Ilham Aliyev and Sergio Mattarella took place in Rome.
During the lunch, President Ilham Aliyev noted that hosting COP29 in Azerbaijan is an expression of the unanimous support of the international community for the country, as well as a sign of trust. He stated that Azerbaijan is ready to cooperate with Italy on international climate change issues within the framework of COP29, according to AzerTac.
President Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan, as the chair of the Non-Aligned Movement from 2019 to 2023 and currently a member, is part of the Global South and maintains close ties with the West, including Europe. He added that Azerbaijan will also work to promote solidarity on climate issues within the framework of COP.
President Sergio Mattarella noted that Italy has always supported the expansion and development of Azerbaijan’s relations with the European Union, and emphasized Italy’s support for a peaceful agenda in the region.
Highlighting that the European Union is one of Azerbaijan’s main trading partners, President Aliyev said that there are good relations between Azerbaijan and the EU. However, he regretted that some European countries are hindering the development of these relations. Referring to the peaceful agenda in the region, President Aliyev said that Azerbaijan is the initiator of the peace treaty with Armenia, the principles forming the basis of this treaty, and regional cooperation projects in the South Caucasus.
He also stated that significant progress has been made in the process of delimitation and demarcation of the border, noting that over 12 kilometers of the border have already been demarcated in this bilateral process. Four Azerbaijani villages that had been under occupation since the early 1990s have been returned to Azerbaijan’s control. He stressed that despite this, Armenia’s constitution still contains territorial claims against Azerbaijan, and highlighted the importance of addressing these through the appropriate constitutional amendments, which would pave the way for signing a peace treaty between the two countries.
During the meeting, the activity of numerous Italian companies in Azerbaijan was highlighted, particularly their involvement in various sectors in Karabakh, including reconstruction and construction works, museum projects, and other initiatives.
In conclusion, President Aliyev invited President Mattarella to pay a state visit to Azerbaijan, which Mattarella accepted with satisfaction.
