PRESIDENT BUSH REAFFIRMS HIS SUPPORT FOR TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF AZERBAIJAN

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Dec 12 2006

U.S. President George Bush reaffirmed his support for territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan while receiving credentials from newly
appointed Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary of Azerbaijan
Yashar Aliyev, at the White House, on December 8, AzerTAc’s Washington
D.C.-based correspondent reports.

Presenting credentials to President Bush, Ambassador Y. Aliyev said
Azerbaijan has always felt U.S. support of its efforts to build and
strengthen a sovereign state.

He added that Azerbaijan will continue to follow the path of political,
economic and social reforms. The Ambassador expressed confidence that
as a super power and co-chair of the OSCE Minsk group, the United
State will continue its efforts to achieve fair and long-lasting
solution to the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

President Bush said that with establishment of the national Oil Fund to
ensure transparency of the revenues from the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil
pipeline, Azerbaijan can be serve as an example for other countries
with rich natural resources.

He said he believes that Azerbaijan’s role as an energy supplier to
Europe and a transit country, will keep growing, and welcomed ongoing
political and economic reforms here.

The U.S. President called for continuation of democratic reforms to
promote the rule of law, civil society, independent media, market
economy and effective democratic institutions.

On the role of Azerbaijan in fighting terrorism, he named the country
U.S. strong ally. The President said Azerbaijan’s future lies within
the EuroAtlantic community, and promised to help the country strengthen
its ties with NATO and the European Union.

President Bush said the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan
continues to hinder stability in the South Caucasus. He called on
the sides to resolve the conflict peacefully and find the ways of
building confidence between the people of Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The President said the United States supports territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan, and as the OSCE Minsk group co-chair, together with
Russia and France, will continue its efforts towards urgent and
peaceful resolution of the conflict.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress