BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. Italy could provide contribution to Azerbaijan in preserving and restoring its cultural heritage, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio told Trend in an interview, commenting on possible cooperation between the two countries on Azerbaijani territories liberated from Armenian occupation.
Maio said Azerbaijan is already a strategic partner for Italy.
"We continue to support the further strengthening of EU-Azerbaijan relations, regardless of the current dynamics. We aim to further develop our cooperation, especially in the energy sector, in line with our long-standing policy of diversification and based on the excellent results we have achieved so far in this field," the minister said.
In his words, Italy looks with great interest at the opportunities offered by Azerbaijan.
"Azerbaijan is an important economic partner for us. Italy is the first destination market for Azerbaijani exports. At the same time, many relevant Italian companies have invested here, mostly in the energy, infrastructure and transport sectors. I do believe that there is room for deepening further our bilateral partnership, especially in the sustainable and clean energy sector, where Italian companies have a globally recognized expertise," he said.
In addition, Maio said, infrastructure and construction, communications and agro-industry are additional areas of interest for Italian companies, which could make an important contribution to the economic growth of Azerbaijan.
"Not to forget the contribution Italy could provide to Azerbaijan in preserving and restoring its cultural heritage, given our renowned expertise in this field," the minister said.