Azernews.Az

By Nazrin Gadimova

Azerbaijan and Romanian are set to hold talks on expansion of bilateral ties.

"Foreign ministries from Azerbaijan and Romania will sit together for talks on bilateral relations in the coming months," Romanian ambassador to Azerbaijan and NATO coordinator in Baku Daniel Cristian Ciobanu said on January 15.

"The two foreign ministers have close cooperation," Ciobanu said. "We periodically consult together about foreign policies and issues of common interests."

Regarding economic issue, Ciobanu said, the two countries enjoy an appropriate ground for expanding ties. He went on adding that, Azerbaijan-Romanian business forum was held last year attended by about one hundred businessmen from Azerbaijan and Romania.

The ambassador also noted that, forums like this play an important role to develop economic relations between two sides.

"I am sure that in the coming years, the turnover of our bilateral will raise dramatically," Ciobanu said.

Ciobanu added that it would be very useful to open direct flights between Azerbaijan and Romania, adding that the two nations have not yet taken advantages of available capacities in tourism section.

"I visited several regions of Azerbaijan, including Sheki, Gabala and Ganja. They are very beautiful. I am sure that, next year more Romanian tourists will come to Azerbaijan. Also we are expecting more Azerbaijani tourists in Romania," the ambassador said.

Touching upon relations between Azerbaijan and NATO, Ciobanu said Azerbaijan is a very important partner of NATO.

"Relations between Azerbaijan and NATO have a strategic importance," Ciobanu added.

The ambassador said NATO highly appreciates Azerbaijan's contribution to the peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan in all directions.

Romanian ambassador also welcomed the fact that Afghan specialists are being trained in Azerbaijani universities.

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 visits of two countries' leaders have boosted bilateral relations.

Azerbaijani-Romanian relations reached the level of Strategic Partnership in 2009 with a number of contracts signed in energy sector.