Romania’s Great Union Day marked in Baku

By Azernews

By Amina Nazarli

Baku hosted an event on the occasion of Great Union Day of Romania 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 that he is pleased that Romania was the second country which recognized the independence of Azerbaijan in 1991.

Romania and Azerbaijan are cooperating in various spheres, namely, policy and economy, he said.

The Azerbaijan-Romania relations are based on friendship and stability, the ambassador stated noting that Romania is a partner of Azerbaijan on international arena.

In turn, Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev, Azerbaijani Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, congratulated Romanian people on the holiday on behalf of the Azerbaijani government.

Mammad-Guliyev added that the Romania-Azerbaijan relations are of strategic nature.

The two countries have a joint action plan on international arena, he said, expressing his hope for the plan to be implemented soon.

He stressed the importance of work of the bilateral intergovernmental commission, noting that Azerbaijan and Romania will discuss economic and energy cooperation at the next meeting.

Mammad-Guliyev also thanked Romania as a EU member for its support.

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

During the past three years there has been a steady increase of the bilateral trade turnover. For the whole of 2015 (according to Romanian data) the bilateral trade stood at $161.3 million, up 13 percent compared to 2014, with a balance in favor of Azerbaijan.

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.