ANKARA (A.A) - 26.06.2002 - The new building of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Oran district of Ankara was opened by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev in a ceremony.
Addressing the ceremony, President Sezer said that Azerbaijan and Turkey
are friendly countries which have cultural and historical ties, adding that ''our relations further improved after Azerbaijan gained its independence.
I believe that the relations will further improve in the coming period.''
Sezer said that ambassadors have a great role in improvement of the bilateral relations, adding that ''I believe that the bilateral relations will further diversify and strengthen by the opening of the new embassy.''
Azerbaijani President Aliyev said in his part that Turkey is the first country which recognized the independence of Azerbaijan, adding that ''Turkey extended all of its support when this young country started to take steps.''
Aliyev said that Azerbaijan used the opportunities of the Turkish diplomatic missions in many capitals of the world as its capacities are limited.
He said that the embassy in Ankara is the first embassy built by Azerbaijan.
Aliyev said that Azerbaijani oil was transported to western markets through two pipelines at the end of the deliberations among Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia.
Azerbaijani oil would be transported to the Mediterranean as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan project was completed in 2005, Aliyev noted.
Touching on Azerbaijani-Armenian issue, Aliyev said that many refugees who were forced to leave their homes in Upper Karabakh had to live in tents for nine years.
Aliyev noted that Armenia carried out strong lobby activities and to this end, it assumed an uncompromising attitude in its talks with Azerbaijan about Upper Karabakh.
Their friendship and solidarity with Turkey was their biggest support in solution of their problems, Aliyev pointed out.
After the ceremony, two presidents met with State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli, Chief of General Staff Huseyin Kivrikoglu, and National Defense Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu.
Before the inauguration of the embassy building, Aliyev had opened Azerbaijani Culture House and Baku Street.
Turkey-Azerbaijan Friendship Solidarity Association Chairman Yuksel Bozer presented a plate to Aliyev for his contributions to bilateral relations.
SEZER MEETS WITH ALIYEV
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer met with Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev at Presidential Palace on Wednesday.
Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal and Azerbaijani Ambassador to Turkey Mehmet Nevruzoglu were also present in the meeting.
President Sezer and Aliyev will have a dinner together at Presidential Palace in the evening.