President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received Adebayo Ogunlesi, Founding Partner, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a leading global infrastructure investment management company, on December 8.

President Aliyev highly appreciated the partnership between the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) and Global Infrastructure Partners, citing joint investments in the “Italo” high-speed rail operator and London Gatwick Airport as successful examples of cooperation. Highlighting Azerbaijan’s long-term development strategy, the President emphasized the importance of the partnership with GIP in this framework.

Adebayo Ogunlesi noted that cooperation with SOFAZ has produced effective results, with the capital invested in GIP-managed funds creating a reliable partnership model.

He highlighted the company’s extensive international experience in airport management, logistics and transport corridor optimization, and energy - including renewable energy - and expressed interest in collaborating with Azerbaijan on energy transition, transport, and digital infrastructure.

The sides also exchanged views on the company’s ongoing infrastructure projects and emerging trends in the global energy transition, including cooperation on international initiatives involving artificial intelligence technologies.

Founded in 2006 and acquired in 2024 by BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners currently manages assets worth approximately $189 billion. BlackRock, the world’s largest active asset management company, oversees nearly $14 trillion in assets globally.