Azernews.Az

By Amina Nazarli

On Tuesday Baku hosted an event on the occasion of Great Union Day of Romania which falls on December 1.

The day commemorated the assembly of the delegates of ethnic Romanians held in Alba Iulia, which declared the Union of Transylvania with Romania in 1918.

The grand reception brought together the heads of diplomatic missions accredited in Azerbaijan, representatives of Romanian diaspora and public figures of Azerbaijan.

In his welcoming speech Romanian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Dan Iancu said 99 years ago, on December 1, 1918, as peace returned to a war-weary continent, the unity of the Romanian state was finally and completely achieved.

“This happened peacefully, driven by a solid popular will, in the spirit of inclusiveness and tolerance. The new Romania born then has made in the following decades great efforts to promote, domestically and externally, to the highest standards of the time, the values of tolerance, fairness, and respect. These values remain today at the core of our policies,” he said.

Touching upon the Romania and Azerbaijan relations, the ambassador said that the two countries are today linked by strong bonds of friendship and shared values.

“Azerbaijan is the only country in the region which is a Strategic Partner of Romania. Azerbaijan is our biggest economic partner in the South Caucasus, and also our key regional counterpart in strategic areas such as energy and transportation,” he said.

Iancu said that the two countries share the same firm attachment to the values of multiculturalism, tolerance and respect for diversity. “In Romania, as in Azerbaijan, these are now deeply and solidly rooted in the mainstream of our societies,” he said.

The envoy went on saying that this June both countries celebrated establishment of 25 years of diplomatic relations.

“The legacy of this quarter of century is rich and inspiring – we enjoy now excellent political dialogue, growing economic cooperation and ever-expanding people-to-people contacts. This provides us with solid grounds and guidance for our future efforts, to further expand our institutional, business, educational and cultural links, to better tap the tremendous potential that exist in our relations,” the ambassador noted.

Iancu also noted about the upcoming meeting of the Azerbaijan-Romania intergovernmental commission scheduled for January 2018, saying that the meeting will give impetus to further development of relations in economy and will help define new goals of economic cooperation.

Romania and Azerbaijan enjoy traditionally very close and friendly relationships developing since 2009 within the framework of the bilateral Strategic Partnership.

Economic relations between Romania and Azerbaijan are developing at a high pace. Romania expressed a desire to participate in the export of Azerbaijani oil to European markets. Countries cooperate in various regional projects, including within the framework of the TRACECA (Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia) program. Azerbaijan and Romania have signed 43 documents in various fields.

Brief information about Great Union Day of Romania

On December 1, 1918 the People’s Assembly in the city of Alba Iulia (South-West Transylvania) unanimously adopted a Resolution stating the union of the provinces of Transylvania, Banat, Crisana and Maramures (until that time part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), all with Romanian-majority population, with the Kingdom of Romania. Coming in the very aftermath of the World War I, “the Great Union of 1918” (as it is called by Romanians) marked the accomplishment of the process of national reawakening started out by the formation of the modern Romanian state in 1859.

This historic event reflects the fulfillment of a long-lasting desire for freedom, unity and national dignity of many generations of Romanians. December 1 is celebrated by Romanians all over the world as a symbol of solidarity, hope and triumph against adverse circumstances. It reflects, to this day, Romania’s attachment to the principles of tolerance, mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and respect for cultural values of all people.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz