Azerbaijan's Image-Building Steps in European Gas Maneuvers

On September 5, President Ilham Aliyev's working visit to Italy highlighted the deepening strategic ties between Azerbaijan and its key European ally. Through high-level meetings with President Sergio Mattarella, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and CEO of Italian energy giant Eni SPA, Claudio Descalzi, this visit reaffirmed the multifaceted relationship between the two countries in energy, trade, cultural cooperation, and regional diplomacy.

Official Baku has included individuals who voted against the Azerbaijani delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the list of 'undesirable persons.'

It has been two years since the "Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Partnership in the Energy Sector" was signed in Baku by Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The first week of July was marked by significant international events—the beginning of Hungary's contentious presidency in the EU, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana, and the informal summit of Organizations of Turkic-speaking States (OTS) in Shusha. Aside from discussing political issues, leaders of these organizations talked about the economic future through the implementation of international transport and energy projects.