Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
posted Aug 22 2005

Azeri amb. urges US Congress to ignore calls for aiding separatist regime

Baku, August 19, AssA-Irada

The Azeri ambassador to the United States Hafiz Pashayev has
condemned two US Congressmen’s call for more assistance to Upper
Garabagh.
Co-chairs of the congressional taskforce on Armenian issues, Frank
Pallone from New Jersey and Joe Knollenberg from Michigan earlier
sought support from the Congress to ask President George Bush for
increasing aid to the separatist regime.
`The Pallone-Knollenberg appeal does not reflect the situation in the
region and the position of the international community on the Upper
Garabagh status issue. Upper Garabagh is an integral part of
Azerbaijan, which is recognized by the United Nations and other
international organizations. Therefore, the United States’ steps in
this regard should be strictly in line with Azerbaijan’s legal,
political and economic position’, the ambassador said in his letter
to the US Congress.
Pashayev called on Congressmen to honor the official policy of the
United States, which recognizes Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.
At the stage of ongoing peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia,
any support to the Pallone-Knollenberg initiative would deal a blow
on the negotiating process, he wrote.
The ambassador recalled that Azerbaijan has already suffered from the
efforts of pro-Armenian congressmen. According to Section 907 to the
Freedom Support Act passed by the US Congress, Azerbaijan was the
only country devoid of US assistance. After the September 11 attacks
on the United States, however, the US government suspended the unfair
provision and showed the true essence of America’s interests,
Pashayev wrote, calling on Congressmen to consider these facts.*