BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 14. Italian companies
are ready to contribute their technology, engineering expertise,
energy-efficient solutions, and other capabilities to construction,
reconstruction, and development projects in Azerbaijan, including
in the liberated territories, and to implement joint projects with
local companies, Italian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Luca Di
Gianfrancesco said at the opening ceremony of the Rebuild Karabakh
exhibition held as part of Caspian Construction Week, Trend’s correspondent reports
from the event.
He said construction and infrastructure were not only important
economic sectors for Azerbaijan but also part of a broader vision
of development oriented toward the future. In this regard, the
exhibition was particularly significant.
The ambassador emphasized that relations between Italy and
Azerbaijan were at a high level. These ties were reaffirmed during
two important visits last year and this year. Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev visited Italy in October last year, while Italian
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited Azerbaijan in May this year.
Meetings between the leaders were held during both visits.
Di Gianfrancesco noted that Italy had a broad and highly
specialized industrial base in the construction sector, and that
Italian companies could offer much more than individual
products.
According to him, Italian companies represent not only
technologies, engineering expertise, specialized equipment,
materials, energy-efficient solutions, and architectural and design
capabilities, but also a long tradition of craftsmanship and a
strong commitment to quality.
“Most importantly, they can combine innovation with design,
technology with functionality, and industrial production with
creativity,” the ambassador said, emphasizing that this was one of
the key features distinguishing Italian industry.
He said that 46 Italian companies were participating in the
BakuBuild exhibition this year. Of these, 24 were represented in
the official Italian pavilion organized by the Italian Trade
Agency. The ambassador invited participants to visit the pavilion
on the opening day and throughout the following days of the
exhibition.
According to Di Gianfrancesco, the participation of Italian
companies in the exhibition demonstrated Italian businesses’
interest in Azerbaijan and their intention to establish long-term
partnerships.
“We have not come here simply to sell products; we have come
here to work together,” he said.
The ambassador added that, beyond offering various solutions and
technologies, Italian companies were capable of building
partnerships with Azerbaijani businesses, exchanging expertise,
developing joint projects, and adapting their experience to the
specific needs of the Azerbaijani market. They could serve as
reliable partners at both the design and implementation stages of
projects.
He stressed that such cooperation was particularly important in
areas including energy efficiency, sustainable construction, smart
building technologies, advanced materials, engineering, and
specialized equipment.
According to the ambassador, the expertise of Italian companies
could also prove valuable in reconstruction and development
projects covering large parts of Azerbaijan, including the
liberated territories.
Di Gianfrancesco recalled that Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev had emphasized in his opening remarks earlier that morning
the special importance of these territories to the Azerbaijani
government and people. He also noted that Italy was contributing to
mine clearance efforts in the liberated territories.
The ambassador thanked Azerbaijani institutions, organizers, and
partners for their efforts in arranging the event. He also
expressed his gratitude to the Italian Trade Agency, its director
Cecilia Oliva, and all Italian companies participating in this
edition of BakuBuild.
“Their presence here sends a very clear message: Italy is here,
Italy is ready to contribute, and Italy is ready to build
partnerships for the future,” Di Gianfrancesco said.
