The State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) hosted an event titled “Azerbaijan–Italy Business and Investment Bridge” within the framework of the visit of Fondo Strategico Italiano (FSI) - one of Italy’s leading private equity management companies and a long-standing partner of SOFAZ - accompanied by representatives of Italian companies from various sectors exploring cooperation opportunities in the Azerbaijani market.

Held at the administrative building of SOFAZ, the event aimed to further strengthen the strategic investment partnership between Azerbaijan and Italy, facilitate the establishment of direct business linkages in areas of mutual interest, and contribute to the development of a sustainable platform for long-term economic cooperation.

The event brought together senior representatives of a number of state institutions, as well as high-level executives from the private sector engaged with the support and coordination of the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Agency (AZPROMO).

Opening remarks were delivered by Israfil Mammadov, Chief Executive Officer of SOFAZ; Anar Akhundov, Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan; and Luca Di Gianfrancesco, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Italian Republic to the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Subsequently, Yusif Abdullayev, Executive Director of AZPROMO, and Maurizio Tamagnini, Chief Executive Officer of FSI, delivered presentations outlining the priority areas of bilateral investment cooperation and highlighting emerging opportunities across key sectors.

The speakers addressed the current state and future prospects of Azerbaijan–Italy economic relations, investment opportunities in priority sectors, the country’s favorable business environment, and avenues for expanding institutional collaboration.

The event concluded with interactive discussions among participants, an assessment of sector-specific cooperation opportunities, and a series of bilateral meetings aimed at fostering concrete partnerships.