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ForMin Corlatean, Azeri ambassador discuss energy cooperation
Romania's Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean on Friday welcomed Azeri ambassador in Bucharest Eldar Hasanov to discuss economic, energy and transport cooperation between Romania and Azerbaijan.
The Romanian Foreign Ministry reports in a press release that Corlatean and Hasanov voiced appreciation for the stage of bilateral political relations between the two countries that are defined under a 2009 strategic partnership and for the 20th anniversary this year of diplomatic ties between Romania and Azerbaijan.
Emphasised in this context was the importance of configuring a substantive 2013 agenda of relevant political contacts on governmental, presidential and parliamentary levels. The two officials discussed aspects of shared interest in consolidating political dialogue and bilateral cooperation in a comprehensive manner, with emphasis on furthering economic, energy and transport cooperation developed under an April 2011 Joint Action Plan attached to the strategic partnership.
Corlatean mentioned the role played by the Romanian embassy in Baku as a NATO contact point, a mission that will be carried out for the third consecutive time in 2013-2014, saying this indicates the excellent relations between Romania and Azerbaijan.
In relation to economic cooperation, the two officials voiced the need for boosting trade and increasing the volume of bilateral commercial exchanges so as to capitalise on the rising trends of the years 2005-2010. They underscored the importance of Bucharest hosting next year the 5th meeting of the Intergovernmental committee on commercial, economic, technical and scientific cooperation.
Corlatean said trade cooperation could be boosted by the creation of a freight transport corridor from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea that would directly capitalise on Black Sea maritime traffic.
In the area of energy cooperation, the two officials discussed the prospects for the development of energy projects that entail Romania and Azerbaijan's participation. The two officials also exchanged opinions on the latest developments in the implementation of the Nabucco West pipeline, a priority project of the European Union that can contribute to European energy security, and the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania-Hungary, gas pipeline that provides the shortest route for natural gas from the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea.