Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrived in Azerbaijan on a visit after participating in the European Political Community summit in Yerevan. In Baku, the Italian Prime Minister held talks with President Ilham Aliyev.

The meeting was held in both a narrow and expanded format, with the participation of delegations from both countries. Following the talks, the two sides issued press statements.

Aliyev emphasized the importance of the Italian route for Azerbaijan's energy exports. He stated that in 2024, the country exported approximately 25 billion cubic meters of natural gas, 9.5 billion of which went to the Italian market. The President noted that Baku and Rome are discussing ways to increase supplies.

He added that increasing export volumes will require the expansion of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which is part of the Southern Gas Corridor.

Earlier, a gala reception was held in Meloni's honor at Heydar Aliyev International Airport. She was accompanied on her trip by an official delegation, and representatives of the Azerbaijani leadership met the prime minister at the airport.