New moment of institutional debate in Lugano, where the City welcomed His Excellency Fuad Isgandarov, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Switzerland, to the Palazzo Civico. The meeting brought together representatives of the city's institutions, the canton, and the business community with the aim of strengthening relations between the Ticino region and the Caucasian country, identifying potential areas for future cooperation.
The meeting was attended by Mayor Michele Foletti, municipal councilors Filippo Lombardi and Marco Chiesa, a delegation from SOCAR Trading led by CEO Natig Mustafayev, as well as representatives of the Canton and the Lugano Commodity Trading Association (LCTA).
Focus on the Middle Corridor
Among the topics discussed during the meeting, the so-called "Middle Corridor" was particularly significant: the trade and logistics route that connects Asia to Europe across the Caspian Sea, a route that has gained increasing importance in international transport in recent years.
The multimodal infrastructure, stretching over 4.000 kilometers, represents one of the most attractive options for developing trade between East and West. In this context, Azerbaijan plays a strategic role due to its geographical location, becoming a key connecting point along the Trans-Caspian route.
Lugano looks to new opportunities
The meeting also provided an opportunity to reflect on the potential contribution Lugano could make to the development of international economic relations, leveraging its expertise in financial services, commodity trading, and logistics.
According to what emerged during the discussion, the city intends to continue strengthening its presence in international economic circles, fostering dialogue with institutional and business partners capable of generating new development opportunities.
"Lugano looks with interest at the opportunities offered by international dialogue and intends to act as an open and concrete partner for new economic and institutional collaborations," said Mayor Michele Foletti.
Azerbaijan's role in Eurasian ties
In his speech, Ambassador Fuad Isgandarov highlighted the strategic value of the Middle Corridor as a platform capable of connecting markets, businesses, and territories from different geographical areas.
According to the diplomat, strengthening this route could create new opportunities for economic and institutional cooperation, fostering the development of services and entrepreneurial initiatives along the entire route connecting Asia and Europe.
In this context, Lugano could assume a significant role as a European point of reference for economic relations with the countries along the Trans-Caspian route, thanks to its consolidated expertise in commodity trading and related services.
A comparison between institutions and businesses
The presence of the delegation from SOCAR Trading and the Lugano Commodity Trading Association confirmed the shared interest in promoting dialogue between the public sector and economic operators.
The discussion allowed for a deeper understanding of the prospects offered by the evolution of international trade routes and to assess how Ticino can fit into a context characterized by new logistics flows and growing integration between Europe and Asia.
The meeting is part of the broader internationalization process pursued by the City of Lugano, which continues to develop relationships with foreign institutional and economic stakeholders, with the aim of fostering collaborations that can have a positive impact on the business landscape and the region's attractiveness.
