Romania expresses interest in cooperation with Azerbaijan
By Nigar Orujova
Azerbaijan appreciates the possibility of future partnership with Romania, Industry and Energy Minister said on December 5.
At a reception ceremony on Romania's national holiday attended by Azerbaijani government officials, Natig Aliyev congratulated Romanian people on behalf of Azerbaijan's President and people.
She also pointed out that relations between the two countries in energy, agriculture, medicine, transport, education, and other fields are at a high level.
Energy projects have a special place in the relations between the two countries, Aliyev said, appreciating future relations and expecting more possibilities in the filed.
"Projects in the field of energy between Romania and Azerbaijan play an important role in the development of bilateral relations. However, this is not our only priority. We expect great prospects for the development of bilateral cooperation and we are interested in this issue," he said.
Romanian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Daniel Cristian Ciobanu said the partnership between Romania and Azerbaijan is at a strategic level, and the presidents of the two countries play a special role in achieving such relations.
Romania is interested in deepening economic cooperation with Azerbaijan through the implementation of substantial energy projects, he said.
Ciobanu said Bucharest supports development of relations between Azerbaijan and the European Union.
Great Union Day is annually celebrated on December 1 and commemorates the assembly of the ethnic Romanian delegates, which declared the Union of the Transylvania region with Romania.
Besides Azerbaijani officials, ambassadors of foreign countries and civil society representatives also took part in the event.
Romania was the second country that recognized Azerbaijan's independence in 1991. Several bilateral high-level meetings have been held in recent years, and the two countries' leaders and foreign ministers' state visits have boosted bilateral relations.
Azerbaijani-Romanian relations reached the level of Strategic Partnership in 2009, and a number of contracts in the energy sector have been signed as well.