From November 11 to 22, there is a country that will conquer the front pages of newspapers around the world, will be at the top of TV reports, will be clicked on the Internet like rock stars. That country is Azerbaijan, a nation that is a link between Europe and Asia, not as well known as it should be by Italians, always looking for tourist destinations that can amaze. In November, Azerbaijan – where Italian companies in the energy sector operate (Tecnimont, Saipem, Technip Italia, Drillmec and Ansaldo) and Italian fashion and luxury brands have a market – will host Cop29, the annual UN climate conference. We talk about it with the ambassador of Azerbaijan to Italy, Rashad Aslanov, who underlines the relationship of trust and fruitful exchanges between the two countries. Aslanov says: «Our capital, Baku, will host 178 nations for the conference. We have invited the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella and the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni. We are at the forefront of the fight against climate change: the conference will be a global recognition of trust in Azerbaijan”.
Italy remains a strategic partner for the country on the shores of the Caspian Sea, to facilitate relations with Brussels. «The EU», the diplomat recalls, «considers us reliable for energy security. We have signed a memorandum of understanding to double gas supplies and an agreement with Georgia, Romania and Hungary to export electricity, with a 1,200-kilometer power line under the sea. It will connect the Caspian with the western coast of the Black Sea, allowing it to also connect to Kazakhstan, so as to transport its energy production to European countries”. Ambassador Aslanov, 47, is an expert in international relations, with a focus on international law and human rights. His country is rich not only in energy to sell, but has historical, religious and artistic layers that make it a treasure chest. With 10 million inhabitants, it is one of the most solid economies in the Caucasus region. This is also due to the increases in the prices of fossil energy products, of which it has an abundance, and to an internal economic policy that has brought down the poverty rate: from 54 percent in 1993 to today’s 4.8. We are working with Armenia to establish diplomatic relations and the definitive delimitation of the borders. This is our initiative. All to achieve sustainable peace,” says the ambassador. “Azerbaijan is committed to developing its renewable energy potential. We are building four photovoltaic plants and one wind farm. We have built a modern transport and logistics infrastructure. This guarantees reliable conditions for Italian and European companies, for which we represent a corridor to Central Asia, of crucial importance, after the tensions that have arisen in international transport.”
The numbers make it clearer how the relationship between Azerbaijan and Italy, with excellent relations, is not negligible. The Caucasian country supplies us with 19 percent of oil consumption and 16 percent of gas, through the Tap gas pipeline (Trans Adriatic Pipeline). From 2026, the Tap should bring in 1.2 billion cubic meters of additional gas from the Caspian. Italy is the leading trading partner, with 45 percent of Azerbaijani exports for 15 billion dollars, ahead of Turkey and Greece. «Italian companies», adds the ambassador, «can count on the post-war reconstruction and demining of Karabakh, which will allow approximately one million Azerbaijani refugees and displaced persons to return to their homes. The trade deficit could be rebalanced through an increase in contracts, supplies, services and Azerbaijani investments in Italy, in energy, tourism and real estate, currently around two billion euros. Our low cost of energy, tax incentives, and the availability of manpower, favor the creation of branches by Italian companies, allowing you to export your competitive products to Central Asia and the Gulf». Defense Minister Guido Crosetto met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in June. A contract was signed with Leonardo for the sale of two military aircraft for tactical transport and cooperation in the field of training. “We are developing our defense capacity and we are also collaborating with NATO,” explains Aslanov. But cultural relations between the two countries also play a central role. President Mattarella recalled this a few years ago, at the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy University in Baku.
Aslanov says: «Next year the campus of the Italy-Azerbaijan University will be inaugurated in Baku, born from the collaboration between our Ada university and yours Luiss, Politecnico di Milano, Sapienza University of Rome, Alma Mater of Bologna and Polytechnic University of Turin. The degrees will be valid in both countries”. Aslanov is proud of the Cultural Center in the embassy, dedicated to the exhibition of carpets, tapestries and Azerbaijani handicrafts. It will help to better understand a country that Marco Polo already described in his Million.
