On April 24-27, 1996, President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev paid an official visit to the kingdom of Norway. The visit was made at the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway Gro Harlem Brundtlandt. Arriving in Norway, an oil rich country of Europe after his visit to Luxembourg and Belgium, Heydar Aliyev held numerous meetings with the representatives of official and business circles here. Official visit of President Heydar Aliyev continued in the capital Oslo and Stavanger, a big industrial and financial centre. In Oslo, President Heydar Aliyev met Harald V, king of Norway, G.Brutlandt, prime minister, K.Grendall, chairman of the parliament, B. Godall, foreign minister and Y. Stoltenberg, minister of energy and industry, and held discussions with them. A ceremony of the signature of "the Agreement on friendship and cooperation between Azerbaijan and Norway" was held. With the signature of this document an official legal-diplomatic ground of relations between the two oil countries was laid. The following documents of exceptional importance for the two countries were signed during the visit:

1. "Convention on the elimination of double taxation and prevention of evasions from income taxes and investments between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Kingdom of Norway". Oslo, April 24, 1996.

2. Protocol on the implementation of Memorandum (signed in Baku on November 21, 1994) on the cooperation in the sphere of energy between the governments of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Kingdom of Norway.

Issues of double taxation and prevention of evasion from income taxes and investment were settled. They were of great importance for the investors representing the two countries. As a result of this visit, a protocol on mutual protection and support of investments was signed in Baku on September 25, 1996. This document was of great importance for stimulating the business activity of investors in Azerbaijan.

On the second day of the visit, Heydar Aliyev arrived in Stavanger and met Harl Norving president of "Statoil". Perspective development of the activity of the company which invested big sum for the development of the oil industry of Azerbaijan (second place in the "Contract of the Century" after "BP"), was discussed at the meeting. Then a ceremony of the signature of documents on the next stage of cooperation in the development of oil and gas deposits between the Norway Oil Company (Statoil) and Azerbaijani State Oil Company (SOCAR) took place. At the initiative of Statoil President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev and the delegation led by him visited an oil platform of Statoil in the North Sea. He got acquainted with the advanced technology and safe working conditions applied by the company in production of oil in the sea. At the end of the day a party was given on honor of the President of Azerbaijan on behalf of "Statoil" company.

On April 26, 1997, President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev met the Norwegian businessmen in the office of "Statoil". In the event, organized by "Statoil", Heydar Aliyev made a large speech on the potential opportunities of the economy of Azerbaijan, economic reforms in the country, favorable conditions created for foreign investors and economic contacts between the two countries. Then, Heydar Aliyev met the heads of "Kverner" company of the country.