Azerbaijan State Oil Company appoints former Georgian deputy PM as head of Italiana Petroli
BAKU. May 14 (Interfax) - The State Oil Company of the Azerbaijani Republic (SOCAR) has appointed Levan Davitashvili to the position of general director of Italiana Petroli (IP), according to a statement from IP.
Following the completion of the deal to acquire 99.82% of Italiana Petroli's shares from API Holding, SOCAR has appointed Levan Davitashvili to the position of general director of IP, the company said. In this role, Davitashvili will lead IP's operations in Italy to ensure operational continuity, preserve and further strengthen the company's position in the national energy market, and oversee the integration of the company into the broader structure of SOCAR Group, it said.
It is noted that this appointment reflects SOCAR's commitment to operating in Italy with management capable of combining international industrial stability and the strategic vision of the State Oil Company with deep knowledge of the local market and institutional environment.
According to IP, Davitashvili, who speaks Italian, has more than 25 years of experience in leadership positions in the public and private sectors. From 2021 to 2025, he served as Georgian first deputy prime minister and economy and sustainable development minister. He also led Georgia's participation in the Green Energy Corridor (Black Sea Energy) initiative connecting the South Caucasus with member states of the European Union. Since November 2025, he has held the position of advisor to the president of SOCAR.
On May 8, SOCAR announced the completion of the deal to acquire 99.82% of IP's shares from API Holding.
In September 2025, SOCAR signed an agreement to acquire 99.82% of Italiana Petroli's shares from API Holding.
IP Group was founded in 1933 and was wholly owned by the Bracchetti-Peretti family. Italiana Petroli is one of the largest integrated downstream platforms in Italy. The company owns thousands of filling stations, two oil refineries with a total capacity of around 10 million tonnes per year, and a developed logistics network.
The deal gives SOCAR control over a network of more than 4,600 filling stations under the IP brand and refining capacity. The total value of the deal is estimated at approximately 3 billion euros.
