ENLARGED MEETING OF PRESIDENTS OF AZERBAIJAN AND ROMANIA
[October 11, 2004, 19:01:00]

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State info agency
Oct 12 2004

The private meeting between Presidents Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan
and Ion Iliescu of Romania was continued later in an enlarged format.

Greeting the distinguished guest and accompanied delegation, the
Romanian President noted that Azerbaijan and Romania are successfully
cooperating in the framework of a number of regional projects. Our
cooperation under the TRACECA project is rapidly developing, and the
efforts to further expand that should be continued, he said.

President Ilham Aliyev thanked the Romanian leader for the invitation
and hospitality, and pointed out the great contribution made by
national leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev and President
of Romania Ion Iliescu to establishment and strengthening of the
relations between Azerbaijan and Romania. Signing of 11 documents
expected in the course of this visit will launch a new stage in
development of bilateral relations in economic and humanitarian
spheres, he said.

Widely discussing the two countries integration the into the European
and Euroatlantic structures, the Heads of State stressed the need to
intensify the activity of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation for further strengthening of the regional cooperation.
The sides expressed their support of the EU’s New Neighboring Policy,
and described the fact of Caucasian countries’, in particular,
Azerbaijan’s joining this policy as very remarkable.

They also touched upon the issue of transportation of Azerbaijan’s
natural gas through Romania to Europe, and noted, in this connection
the necessity to intensify efforts for resolution of the conflicts
in the Caucasus. President Ilham Aliyev recalled in particular
that 20% of the Azerbaijan’s territories were occupied and over one
million people became refugees and IDPs as a result of the Armenian
aggression. Azerbaijan stands for resolution of this conflict on the
base of the international legal norms, and demands restoration of
its territorial integrity, he said.