AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Feb 25 2005

TRADITIONAL FRIENDLY AND COOPERATION RELATIONS BETWEEN AZERBAIJAN AND
ITALY SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOPS IN ALL FIELDS

OFFICIAL VISIT OF AZERBAIJAN PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV TO THE REPUBLIC
OF ITALY AND THE STATE OF VATICAN

PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN ILHAM ALIYEV MEETS WITH ITALIAN PRIME
MINISTER SILVIO BERLUSCONI
[February 25, 2005, 17:18:12]

As was earlier informed, on February 24, President of the Republic of
Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met at the Council of Ministers of the
Republic of Italy with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

In honor of the Azerbaijan President a guard of honor was lined up
before the building of the Council of Ministers.

Premier of the Council of Ministers of Italy Silvio Berlusconi
welcomed President of Azerbaijan.

Then, head of the Azerbaijan State and Premier of Italian Government
had a one-on-one meeting. The Italian Premier said that he was well
aware of dynamic development of Azerbaijan, which promotes
strengthening and expanding of mutually beneficial relations between
the two countries.

President Ilham Aliyev thanked for hospitality he and the Azerbaijan
delegation was shown in Italy, spoke of the path Azerbaijan has
passed in the independence years, the problems the country faced, and
the works done for integration to Europe. Noting that the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the major obstacle
for regional development, president Ilham Aliyev underlined necessity
of making by the European community of more efforts to eliminate this
problem.

Expressing his consent with President Aliyev’s views, Mr. Berlusconi
said Azerbaijan’s integration goes head very successfully and Italy
would do utmost that the European Union played more active role in
settlement of the conflict.

President of Azerbaijan spoke of the negotiation process of
settlement of the conflict, the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group in
this direction, disclosed the standpoint of Azerbaijan for peace way
resolution to the problem.

During the talk, the existent level of bilateral relations were
highly assessed, and also was noted increase of commodity turnover in
the last three years, and was made accent that this dynamic would
further be continued by mutual efforts. The sides also exchanged
views related to prospects of economic co-op, participation of the
Italian businessmen in development of medium entrepreneurship.

The sides also focused place of Azerbaijan in the current world, its
contribution to the safety in region and Europe, economic progress,
and a number of regional and global questions of mutual interest.

After the meeting, on behalf of the Italian Prime Minister, an
official reception was given in honor of the Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev.