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Caspian gas â€˜very importantâ€™ for Europe â€“ Italian president

18 July 2018 12:24 (UTC +04:00)

The Southern Gas Corridor, the Caspian Sea region, as well as Caspian gas are very important for Europe, said Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

Mattarella made the remarks at a briefing following his meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on July 18, APA reports.

Mattarella expressed gratitude to President Aliyev for the attention and hospitality extended to him and the delegation accompanying him.

“As you know, I’m the first Italian president to visit Azerbaijan. I’m very glad to be here. I arrived in Azerbaijan at the invitation of President Ilham Aliyev. This invitation and our relations are the result of bilateral cooperation, which is at an excellent level,” he said.

Italy also considers Azerbaijan its reliable partner and, in particular, its main partner in the region, the president noted.

He emphasized that Italy attaches great importance to cooperation with Azerbaijan at the global level.

Italy also welcomes Azerbaijan’s secularity and the country’s respect for religious tolerance, added Mattarella.

The president then affirmed Italy’s support for Azerbaijan’s steps aimed at tackling threats posed by radicalism.

“During the meeting with the Azerbaijani president, we also exchanged views on the fight against terrorism and illegal trade routes. We also discussed our strategic and commercial cooperation. Apart from our excellent cooperation in the field of energy, we also underlined the importance of our cooperation in other areas. We talked about the activities of Italian companies in Azerbaijan,” he added.

The Italian president pointed out that the Southern Gas Corridor, the Caspian Sea region, as well as Caspian gas are very important for Europe.

Mattarella noted that Italy attaches great importance to and welcomes the diversification of Azerbaijan’s economy.

“In addition, we talked about the cooperation of our companies in the field of defense, because we believe that Italy’s technology in this area can contribute to the economy of Azerbaijan,” he added.

Mattarella announced that the Italy-Azerbaijan business forum will be held in Baku tomorrow.

“Together with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, we will take part in the Italy-Azerbaijan business forum tomorrow,” he said.