Azerbaijan, Italy eye bilateral relations
By Nazrin Gadimova
Azerbaijan and Italy have discussed ways of developing bilateral relations as Azerbaijani Ambassador Vagif Sadigov met Mayor of Bari Michele Emiliano as part of his visit to Puglia region, AzerTag state news agency reported.
The ambassador hailed relations between the two countries, particularly in the fields of politics and economics.
He described Italy as an important trade partner of Azerbaijan.
"There are good opportunities for deepening cooperation between our regions and cities. A lot of Italian businessmen, including from Puglia region are paying visits to Azerbaijan on a constant basis, and these visits are very fruitful in terms of realization of joint projects," he said.
Sadigov also highlighted Azerbaijan`s history, current political and economic situation in the country.
The mayor, in turn, praised relations between Azerbaijan and Italy, and noted the importance of strengthening cooperation between institutional organizations.
Italy remains the largest importer of Azerbaijani goods. Almost a quarter of Azerbaijan's export went to Italy in January-July 2013, compared to 22 percent in the same period in 2012. Currently, 45 Italian companies operate in Azerbaijan in insurance, banking, trade, and other areas.