Italy-Azerbaijan economic and industrial cooperation

Italy and Azerbaijan have initiated efforts to expand their bilateral relationship beyond traditional energy commerce into broader industrial and technological sectors. Following a business forum in Rome organized by Confindustria and various Italian ministries, officials from both nations met to discuss cooperation in strategic areas such as critical raw materials, mining, metallurgy, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure.

During these discussions, a joint declaration regarding critical raw materials was signed. Italian Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, stated that the partnership is evolving from a primarily commercial and energy-focused relationship into a technological and industrial one. While energy remains a central pillar—with Italy serving as the primary market for Azerbaijani exports—both nations aim to increase bilateral trade beyond the 8 billion euros recorded in 2025 by diversifying investments into high-value sectors like plant engineering and material recovery.

Following a two-day institutional mission in Rome involving Minister Urso and Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov, the two nations have set a target to exceed 10 billion euros in bilateral trade. Italy remains a critical partner, accounting for approximately 40% of Azerbaijani exports during the first seven months of 2026. As part of the mission, the Azerbaijani delegation engaged with major Italian firms, including Eni, Snam, Saipem, Ansaldo Energia, Danieli, Aruba, and TIM, to explore investments in digital technologies and materials processing.