According to the international group Tasnim News AgencyItalian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni participated in the “European Political Community” summit today in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, and immediately after that, on May 5, she will go to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, for an official and diplomatic trip.
Italy is strongly looking to buy more gas from the Republic of Azerbaijan; A country that in recent years has become an alternative and important source for the supply of “blue fuel” on the European continent.
Europe’s energy security depends on the Caucasus pipelines
On the eve of Georgia Meloni’s visit to Baku, “Elchin Amirbekov”, the special representative of the President of Azerbaijan, traveled to Italy and made several visits in this country.
In an interview with the Italian publication “Decode39”, this senior diplomat discussed the prospect of expanding bilateral cooperation, the impact of the strategic partnership between Baku and Rome on regional stability, as well as the concept of the “Three Seas Alliance” (Caspian Sea, Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea).
In this interview, Amirbekov noted that the strategic importance of energy cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Italy has become more visible after the Hormuz crisis.
According to him, in the current geopolitical instability, the main issue is not just access to energy sources, but the reliability and security of energy supply routes is of vital importance.
The special representative of the President of Azerbaijan stated: “In this regard, the Republic of Azerbaijan has been a reliable partner for Italy for a long time. In 2025, the Republic of Azerbaijan managed to transfer 9.5 billion cubic meters of gas to Italy through the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which covers about 16% of the country’s total gas imports. Since the beginning of the commercial operation of the TAP project, more than 42 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas have been exported to Italy. This makes TAP not only a successful commercial project, but also a strategic pillar for Italy’s energy stability.”
Avoiding the Hormuz crisis by developing the “Southern Gas Corridor”
This diplomat reminded that the importance of energy partnership between Baku and Rome goes beyond the framework of bilateral relations. According to Amirbekov, the Republic of Azerbaijan today plays an important role in ensuring Europe’s energy security. In 2025, Baku exported 12.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas to EU member states, which represents a growth of 53.8% compared to 2021.
He added: “This statistic proves that the Southern Gas Corridor has become one of the key paths of energy diversification for Europe, right at the time when the continent is desperately looking for reliable alternatives and safe land supply channels.”
Special representative Ilham Aliyev believes that the tensions around the Strait of Hormuz once again proved the fragility and vulnerability of global energy markets against geopolitical impulses. In this context, the role of the Republic of Azerbaijan becomes more valuable than in the past.
He emphasized: “Therefore, after the Hormuz crisis, the energy relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Italy have become more important not only for the two countries, but also for the entire European continent.”
Referring to Baku’s plans to increase gas exports to Europe, Elchin Amirbekov stated that this process is going on with strength. The first phase of the TAP pipeline development has been in operation since January 2026 and has added 1.2 billion cubic meters to the gas transmission capacity to Europe annually. Of this additional volume, one billion cubic meters is exclusively allocated to Italy.
He pointed out: “This issue shows that the mentioned corridor is not stopped, but is still growing and developing in response to the growing energy needs of Europe.”
The dream of the “Three Seas Alliance” and Trump’s path for regional peace
Amirbekov further added that in order to significantly increase gas exports to Europe, it is necessary to further develop the infrastructure of the southern gas corridor. This issue requires new investments in the development of gas fields and the construction of additional pipeline infrastructure.
He stated: “In today’s ambiguous geopolitical environment, the expansion of these capacities is more in line with Europe’s own strategic interests. Therefore, financing these projects is very important. While Europe continues its efforts to diversify its energy sources, European institutions can play an important role in creating the financial platforms to attract the necessary investments.
During this interview, the special representative of the President of Azerbaijan explained the prospect of forming a new geopolitical alliance including the countries of the Black Sea, Caspian Sea and Mediterranean Sea and examined the role of relations between Baku and Rome in facilitating the formation of this alliance.
He said: “I evaluate this phenomenon not as an official geopolitical block, but more as a new link based on infrastructure connections and common strategic interests.”
According to him, Italy and the Republic of Azerbaijan are in a favorable position to develop such a link, “because our partnership has already connected the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean in terms of energy, and the Black Sea is gaining importance thanks to new projects in the fields of electricity, transportation and digital communications.”
This senior diplomat emphasized: “From this point of view, a new geography is being formed: the Republic of Azerbaijan is not only considered a key player in the Caspian Sea, but also a natural bridge to Central Asia, with which it has established very strong strategic relations in recent years.” On the other hand, Italy also acts as a natural gateway to the Mediterranean and the whole of Europe.
From Amirbekov’s point of view, the next step is to transform this geographical area into a wider strategic structure. This goal can be achieved in at least three areas:
First, the energy sector: The Southern Gas Corridor has already become a strategic artery to connect the Caspian Sea to Europe.
Second, clean and renewable energy: The Caspian-Black Sea-Europe Green Energy Corridor is designed with the aim of transferring renewable energy from the Republic of Azerbaijan and Central Asia to Europe, and the Italian company “CESI” plays a leading role in carrying out the feasibility studies of the Caspian-Black Sea-Europe and Central Asia-Azerbaijan Green Corridor projects.
Third, transportation and logistics: The Middle Corridor (Trans-Caspian Corridor) helps to strengthen the economic ties between the Caspian, Black Sea and Mediterranean regions; An issue that becomes doubly important in the era of widespread disruptions in global supply chains, severe market fluctuations and continuous geopolitical turbulence.
The diplomat of the Republic of Azerbaijan stated in this regard: “In this context, the establishment of peace between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia, after being formalized through the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement, will create unique opportunities.” By resuming transit connections, the region can become more integrated. Currently, the construction of the first part of Zange Zor Corridor in the Republic of Azerbaijan is nearing completion. On the other hand, within the territory of Armenia, a corridor is being developed within the framework of “Trump’s Path for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP), which connects the Republic of Azerbaijan to its external region, the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan. At the same time, on the Nakhchivan side, Baku is expanding its cooperation with the European Union and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for the railway reconstruction project. The combination of these three elements together can greatly strengthen the middle corridor and add a new European dimension to the growing architecture of transit connections in the region.”
In the end, he pointed out that the real opportunity lies in this: the creation of a three-sea alliance not against any country, but on the centrality of mutual connections, stability and common interests.
Amirbekov emphasized: “The Caspian Sea provides resources and access to Central Asia, the Black Sea acts as a strategic corridor to ensure transit access, and the Mediterranean Sea also opens the way to enter wider European and global markets.” “The Republic of Azerbaijan and Italy are able to connect not only these three water areas, but also other surrounding areas to a unified and coherent geopolitical and geoeconomic space.”
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