Israfil Mammadov, CEO of the State Oil Fund of the Republic of
Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), took part in the FII Priority Europe Forum,
held in Rome on 17–19 June as part of his working visit to Italy.
Powered by the FII Institute, with the Public Investment Fund (PIF)
of Saudi Arabia as Founding Partner, the forum was convened under
the theme "Europe Reimagined: Capital, Sovereignty & Strategic
Autonomy."
The forum centered on strengthening Europe's strategic autonomy
across energy, technology, security and finance. Bringing together
leading global investors, policymakers and innovators, the event
examined how capital can support the continent's long-term
competitiveness.
Israfil Mammadov took part in the panel discussion “Who Will
Finance Europe’s Next Build-Out?”, which addressed how long-term
capital can help finance large-scale infrastructure. In his
remarks, Mr. Mammadov noted that long-term investment capital is
available in ample supply globally, and that the real challenge
lies in directing it toward high-quality projects that meet
institutional standards. Speaking of how the Fund applies this in
practice, he said: "We invest across markets on the basis of
stability, asset quality and a long horizon. Our investments in
Italy are a clear example of that, through long-term ownership of
real infrastructure in transport and in energy that we intend to
hold for years to come. Today, SOFAZ’s investments in Italy total
USD 3 billion, positioning the country as the Fund’s fourth-largest
investment destination within its global portfolio."
During the working visit, Mr. Mammadov held a series of meetings
with representatives of government institutions, the private sector
and sovereign wealth funds, engaging in productive discussions on
investment opportunities, areas of mutual interest and prospects
for future cooperation.
