At the official reception hosted in honor of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at Rome's Quirinale Palace on February 20 on behalf of Italian President Sergio Mattarella, the head of Italian state spoke about the Bloody January tragedy.
S. Mattarella said that Azerbaijan has become one of the most developing countries of the region throughout the past 3 decades after the restoration of its independence: "Your visit is taking place 30 years after the Bloody January events that launched the process of the full separation from the Soviet Union and the bitter page of history. Throughout 3 decades after restoring its independence, Azerbaijan has proven itself as one of the most developing countries of the region and as the model of the coexistence of cultures, ethnic groups and various religions. It is about the sample of tolerance and peaceful coexistence based on the very significant historical experience of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, one of the first countries that gave suffrage to women at the start of the last century.
The relations between Italy and Azerbaijan have reached the exceptional development within the framework of the diplomatic relations existing for 25 years.
It has also become possible due to the choice of Baku which directs its vision towards the Euro-Mediterranean zone and has a balanced geopolitical stance."