Azerbaijan, Romania keen on closer cooperation
By Aynur Jafarova
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday received a Romanian delegation led by Head of the Chamber of Deputies Valeriu Zgonea.
President Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan and Romania enjoyed strong political relations.
The President expressed confidence that the friendly and strategic partnership relations between Azerbaijan and Romania would continue to expand in all fields.
He stressed the importance of interparliamentary cooperation for strengthening relationship between the two countries and underlined the significance of the two countries` mutual support within international organizations.
President Aliyev said the Azerbaijani people have great respect for the Romanian people. The President also thanked Romania for supporting Azerbaijan on various issues.
The head of state expressed confidence that Valeriu Zgonea`s visit to Azerbaijan would be a success.
In turn, Zgonea said the signing of a document on strategic partnership between the two countries contributed to the friendly relations.
The head of the Chamber of Deputies hailed the development of political, economic and cultural relations between Azerbaijan and Romania, stressing the importance of interparliamentary cooperation for the expansion of these ties.
The sides also discussed the Azerbaijan-Romania energy cooperation, investments, as well as cooperation with organizations, particularly European ones.
Zgonea, accompanied by a delegation, arrived in Azerbaijan on Thursday. During the visit, the delegation also met with Parliamentary Speaker Ogtay Asadov, who stated that Azerbaijani-Romanian relations have developed from the level of simple cooperation to strategic partnership.
Asadov mentioned that the relations between the two countries are dynamically developing.
There is legal framework for the development of cooperation; 55 bilateral documents have been signed between Romania and Azerbaijan and five more are expected to be inked for further development of cooperation, Asadov added.
He stressed that Azerbaijan supplies Romania with crude oil and is interested in gas supply in the future; it therefore pays great attention to the implementation of the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania Interconnector (AGRI) project.
The parliaments of both countries play a special role in the development of bilateral relations and there are functioning parliamentary friendship groups, Asadov said.
Zgonea said Romanian Minister for Infrastructure Projects of National Interest and Foreign Investment Dan Sova has come to Azerbaijan with 15 projects which will contribute to the development of bilateral relations.
Romania is interested in the development of relations in all spheres, Zgonea said.
Business forum
A business forum was held in the framework of the Romanian delegation's visit to Azerbaijan. Romanian companies representing construction, industry, banking, mining industry and other sectors participated at the event.
Addressing the business forum, Azerbaijani Minister of Economic Development Shahin Mustafayev said that opening of the Chamber of Commerce of Romania in Azerbaijan will stimulate the development of economic relations between the two countries.
According to him, the current trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Romania is below potential. The minister also said the trade turnover between the two countries increased more than 23 percent in 2012.
"However, there are comprehensive capabilities for expansion of foreign trade relations relevant to the potential of the two countries and there are all conditions for that," Mustafayev said.
According to Mustafayev, the intergovernmental commission plays an important role in the strengthening of the economic relations between Romania and Azerbaijan.
"As of today four meetings of the intergovernmental commission have been held. I think soon the next meeting will be held in the Romanian capital Bucharest. It is planned to discuss the important issues on the expansion of economic cooperation in the framework of this meeting," Mustafayev said.
In turn, the Romanian Minister, Dan Sova, said that Romania is ready to provide the necessary conditions for business development of Azerbaijani companies in the country.
The Romanian side is interested in the participation of Azerbaijani companies in the projects of national importance implemented in the country, Sova said at a press conference held following the business forum.
These are projects in the fields of energy, road construction and agriculture, he added.
"Currently, SOCAR (the state energy company of Azerbaijan) is working in Romania and we think that its activity will be further developed in the framework of projects such as Nabucco West and AGRI," Sova said.
Sova stated that the Romanian delegation met with Azerbaijan's leaders and informed them of these projects. It was noted at the meeting that the Azerbaijani side will consider them, he added.
In 2011, Romania and Azerbaijan signed a strategic cooperation agreement that gave an impetus to the development of bilateral economic relations, which are developing dynamically, Sova said.
However, according to the minister, the economic relations between the two countries do not correspond to the level of political relations.
"This is our first visit to Azerbaijan. The Romanian Prime Minister's visit to Azerbaijan is expected in May. We are familiar with the potential of Azerbaijani companies and would like for them to invest in the Romanian economy," Sova said.
Currently eight companies with Romanian capital are successfully operating in Azerbaijan in the spheres such as industry, construction and trade. 49 companies with Azerbaijani capital, which are operating in trade, construction, transport and real estate sectors, have been registered in Romania.