The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Luigi Di Maio, assisted by Undersecretary of State, Manlio Di Stefano, will be on a mission to Azerbaijan and Armenia from today until Sunday.
The visit in Baku is part of the energy diplomacy activity promoted by Minister Di Maio following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, aimed at speeding up the process of energy diversification by strengthening existing cooperation with reliable partners with great potential. In his meetings with the President of the Republic, Mr Aliyev, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Bayramov and with the Minister of Energy, Mr Shahbazov, Minister Di Maio will discuss a possible increase in gas supplies from Azerbaijan through the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), a strategic infrastructure that connects our two countries and the only European pipeline built in recent years that does not convey Russian gas.
Minister Di Maio will also review, together with his interlocutors, the major issues of the bilateral and regional agenda, and will co-chair, along with his counterpart, Mr Bayramov, the first meeting of the multidimensional bilateral Strategic Dialogue.
Minister Di Maio will then travel to Jerevan, where he will meet with the highest offices of the State, including the President of the Republic, Mr Khachaturyan, the President of the National Assembly, Mr Simonyan, the Prime Minister, Mr Pashinyan and the Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Mirzoyan. The goal of the visit to Armenia is to review the state of bilateral relations and to reassert the strong will to promote bilateral partnership in all spheres. In his meetings, during which regional issues will be discussed too, as well as the Italian hope for a quick normalisation of the regional situation, Minister Di Maio will stress the interest of Italian companies in investing in Armenia, thus contributing to the growth and development of the country.
To all his interlocutors Minister Di Maio will reiterate, finally, the need for a commitment in favour of a ceasefire in Ukraine, aimed at alleviating the suffering of the civilian population in a context that is still particularly dramatic.
Minister Di Maio on a mission to Azerbaijan and Armenia
