Domestic

Domestic

Ex-president: SOCARâ€™s office in Bucharest demonstrates Azerbaijan-Romania friendship

20 July 2007 16:11 (UTC +04:00)

First Romanian President Ion Iliescu said is one of those who laid the foundation of Romania-Azerbaijan friendship, Ion Iliescu told APAâ€™s Eastern Europe bureau exclusively. Commenting on opening office of State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) on South-Eastern Europe in Bucharest, Mr.Iliescu said that it demonstrates friendship relations between Azerbaijan and Romania.
â€œThis is only the beginning and a very splendid beginning. Heydar Aliyev and I made the first steps towards this friendship. We initiated on bilateral trade relations,â€ he said,
The ex-president noted that Heydar Aliyev initiated on restoration of Silk Way and such kind of cooperation was also implemented with Turkish president Suleyman Demirel.
â€œYou know, cooperation with Azerbaijan had hard times. Especially Karabakh conflict, and later developments in Chechnyaâ€¦ All gas pipelines passed through this area. There were very hard times,â€ he said,
Ex-president noted that Black Sea summit was later held and Turkey supported Azerbaijan there.
â€œI have recently visited Baku and saw the pipeline lying till Erzurum. It shows Azerbaijanâ€™s economic growth and it is very good,â€ he said. /APA/