President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to his Italian counterpart, Sergio Mattarella, on the Republic Day.

In his letter, President Ilham Aliyev wrote: “On behalf of myself and the people of Azerbaijan, I sincerely congratulate you and, through you, the friendly people of your country on the occasion of June 2 - the Republic Day - extending my best wishes.

We are pleased with the dynamic and comprehensive development of interstate relations between Azerbaijan and Italy, founded on friendship, mutual respect, and trust. Today, our countries cooperate effectively across various areas such as economy, trade, energy, investment, defense, humanitarian affairs, science, and education. Our partnership is enriching year by year with new content. Azerbaijan attaches special importance to the development of relations with Italy, a reliable strategic partner, in all areas. The intensity of our political ties, mutual understanding at the highest level, and active dialogue provide a solid foundation for this cooperation.

The companies representing Italy, our largest trading partner, have been successfully operating in Azerbaijan for many years and play a special role in deepening our bilateral relations. The participation of your country’s companies in the restoration and reconstruction of the liberated territories is a clear testament of the high level of our partnership.

Cooperation in the energy sector remains one of the cornerstones of Azerbaijan–Italy relations. Our effective collaboration, built on a broad agenda in this field and our joint efforts within the Southern Gas Corridor, significantly contribute to Europe's energy security.

We welcome the steadily developing humanitarian ties. The Italy-Azerbaijan University, established through a joint project with five leading Italian universities, exemplifies the diversification of our cooperation.

I highly value the growing political dialogue between our countries. Today, by making use of the great potential of our mutual cooperation, we are determined to further deepen Azerbaijan–Italy relations.

I am confident that we will successfully continue our joint efforts to strengthen the friendship and multidimensional strategic partnership between our countries and to comprehensively expand our cooperation.”