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Ambassador Jon Ramberg: Norwegian people twice said â€œnoâ€ on countryâ€™s EU membership

20 July 2007 10:46 (UTC +04:00)

- You have been serving in Azerbaijan for almost a year. What are your impressions? Do you see Azerbaijan as European or Asian country?
- I have only been in Azerbaijan for six months. But I knew Azerbaijan from two previous visits. I see it as a bridge between Europe and Asia.
- How do you evaluate the relations between Azerbaijan and Norway? What projects are you planning as ambassador to promote these relations?
- Yes, I think it is a good relationship. The aim of the Embassy is to make it even broader.We have many cooperation projects in the energy, humanitarian, environmental fields. There are many things we are already engaged on planning to expand this.
- What are the planned areas for cooperation?
- I think what we need is talks at political level in order to define the cooperation agenda for next years. That is obvious, we have many common interests, Norway and Azerbaijan. We are both important suppliers of energy to Europe, Azerbaijan from the South East and we from the North. And of course, we enlarge involvement of Statoil here which also means the government is committed to broad cooperation.
- You know presidential elections will be held in Azerbaijan next year. Is Norway planning to render technical assistance to Azerbaijan for elections?
- I do not think there are any plans for bilateral assistance. Because, Azerbaijan is cooperating with the Council of Europe and Venice Commission. That is multilateral effort.
- Norway supported restoration of several cultural monuments in Azerbaijan. Is Norway continuing the restoration?
- There are no plans for church restoration as far as I know. I visited the church in Kish a few weeks ago. And it was a beautiful monument to the Albanian church culture. There is very broad cooperation in cultural than any other fields. Minister Garayev was in Norway recently to see a big exhibition in Stavanger on Azerbaijan. Norwegian experts have been cooperating with Azerbaijani experts on Gobustan rock carvings and other rock carvings. And I am delighted to see Gobustan now become a world cultural heritage.
- Norway is one the few European countries that is not European Union member. Is Norway going to join the European Union?
- Norwegian people has been asked twice in referendum and they said â€œnoâ€. There is democracy in Norway. So, unless there are clear signs that the people will say yes I do not think it will be put to vote again. I should add we are very well integrated into European structures and economically we are as good as members. We are contributing to the countries indenting to be EU member to raise their standards. /APA/