The official visit of the delegation led by Colonel General Karim Valiyev, First Deputy Minister of Defence and Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijani Army, to the Republic of Italy has taken place.

During the official visit, Colonel General Karim Valiyev, together with the delegation he leads, visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Piazza Venezia, laid a wreath, and paid tribute to the memory of the fallen.

Later, the Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijani Army met with the Chief of the General Staff of the Italian Armed Forces, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone.

During the official reception at the General Staff, the national anthems of both countries were played.

A briefing on the structure and operational directions of the Italian Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces was presented during the meeting, which was attended by Rashad Aslanov, the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Italy.

In both one-on-one and extended meetings, discussions were held on the development prospects of military, military-technical, and military-educational cooperation between Azerbaijan and Italy, as well as regional security issues.

Colonel General Karim Valiyev congratulated Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone on his appointment as Chairman of the NATO Military Committee and wished him success in his new role.

Additionally, the Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijani Army, Colonel General Karim Valiyev, met with Guido Crosetto, the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Italy.

The parties conducted a thorough exchange of views on the current state and development prospects of military cooperation between the two countries, as well as on a number of issues of mutual interest.

As part of the visit, the Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijani Army also met with Lieutenant General Luciano Portolano, who is currently serving as the Chief of Armament for Italy.

Colonel General Karim Valiyev congratulated Lieutenant General Luciano Portolano on his appointment as Chief of the General Staff of the Italian Armed Forces and wished him success in his new role.

During the meeting, the expansion of military-technical cooperation between the two countries and several other issues were discussed. Both sides expressed confidence that cooperation would continue successfully.

The Azerbaijani military delegation then visited Italy's Joint Operations Command, where they were briefed on the organization's activities.

On the following day of his official visit to the Republic of Italy, the First Deputy Minister of Defense visited the NATO Defense College in Rome.

Colonel General Karim Valiyev met with the Commander of the College, Lieutenant General Max Nielsen.

In the meeting, which was also attended by the Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Italy, Rashad Aslanov, the possibilities and prospects of mutual cooperation in the field of military education were extensively discussed.

Following this, the Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijani Army was informed in detail about the history, main activities, and educational process of the College, as well as the conditions provided for students.

Finally, Colonel General Karim Valiyev met with Azerbaijani military personnel and civilian staff serving under NATO's "Partnership Staff Officer Concept" and attending the "NATO Regional Cooperation Course" to inquire about their education and training conditions.

In addition to the meetings, Colonel General Karim Valiyev and the accompanying delegation also visited the Embassy of Azerbaijan and the Cultural Center in Italy during their official visit.