“Bilateral relations are excellent. Azerbaijan is a trusted partner of Italy, a secular, moderate country that vigorously monitors the threat of religious fundamentalism,” said the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Angelino Alfano when describing the relations between Italy and Azerbaijan during his meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov in Palermo on the sidelines of the OSCE Mediterranean Conference.
Energy cooperation was on the agenda. According to Alfano “we both need to diversify energy sources and routes. The Trans Adriatic Pipeline project is an important incentive towards diversifying gas supply and improving energy security”.
When illustrating the priorities of the upcoming OSCE Italian Presidency, Alfano stated that Italy intended “to maintain existing negotiation formats, especially on Nagorno Karabakh, ensuring that every effort is made to facilitate a negotiated solution to the crisis”.