Azerbaijan and Italy are strengthening their military ties
The Azerbaijani Minister of Defense, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov, met in Baku on January 12 this year with a delegation from Italy led by Guido Crosetto, the Minister of Defense, according to the press service of the military department of the Transcaucasian republic.
General Hasanov briefed Italian officials on the politico-military situation in the region after the 44-day war in Nagorno-Karabakh in the fall of 2020.
It was emphasized that the cooperation between Baku and Rome in the field of military education continues,,at a rapid pace, and these relations are highly valued’’.
For his part, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev thanked Italy for its contribution to the expansion of ties between Azerbaijan and the European Union, noting that cooperation with Rome is also successful in the energy field. In this context, the president emphasized the efficient operation of the ,,Southern Gas Corridor’’, Azerbaijani gas representing a vital source in Italy’s attempts to give up energy imports from Russia by 2025.
It should be noted that, in addition to the close ties between the two countries in the energy field, which is based on Italy's status as the largest European buyer of Azerbaijani oil, in recent years, the prospects for collaboration in the technical-military sphere have considerably materialized. Thus, in the fall of 2021, about a year after the end of the 44-day war in Nagarno-Karabakh, reports appeared about Azerbaijan's intentions to acquire ,,soon’’ M-346 combat training aircrafts from Italy. Until then, the commander of the Air Force of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ramiz Tairov, said that Baku would strengthen its army with new fighter jets in the near future.
