U.S. AZERBAIJANI, TURKISH DIASPORA ORGANIZATIONS WRITE A LETTER TO U.S. PRESIDENT

Today.Az
ics/54392.html
Aug 5 2009
Azerbaijan

Dear President Obama,

Last year’s war between Georgia and Russia punctuated the continued
threat to peace and security in the South Caucasus arising from
unresolved territorial conflicts that have spanned more than two
decades since the fall of the Soviet Union. Recently, several
Iranian officials openly threatened Azerbaijan for hosting Israeli
President Shimon Peres in Baku. Similarly, four UN Security Council
resolutions demanding that Armenian forces withdraw and cease the
occupation of Azerbaijani lands since 1993 have achieved little for
the displaced one million refugees and IDPs. All of this adds to the
urgency of reaching a sustainable peace based on the fundamentals of
international law and human rights, or, as you have stated earlier,
"a lasting and durable settlement of the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict."

With stronger support from the United States and increasing involvement
of the Russian Federation, the peace process has produced some
momentum at the latest meetings of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and
Armenia. U.S. Mediator Matt Bryza emphasized the productive position
and leadership demonstrated by Azerbaijan during the negotiations,
particularly Azerbaijan’s many concessions to Armenia and the Armenian
people despite Armenia’s aggression in and military occupation of
western Azerbaijan. A peaceful settlement, which involves respect for
territorial integrity of the states in the region, repatriation of
the displaced communities, opening of all borders and communications,
security guarantees for both Azerbaijani and Armenian communities
in occupied regions of Azerbaijan, and withdrawal of Armenian forces
from Azerbaijan, and nothing less, is necessary to achieve a lasting
and durable settlement.

The South Caucasus, a strategic global juncture, holds great promise
for regional and global peace and prosperity. Yet the region’s
potential has been disrupted and disable by two decades of conflict
between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenia’s own development has been
paralyzed as a result of its self-imposed isolation from major regional
projects. More than one million Armenians have left Armenia due to poor
government, poor economics, and poor services. While the Azerbaijani
residents of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and other Armenian-occupied
regions of Azerbaijan have suffered ethnic cleansing, displacement,
and destruction of personal and cultural property, the Armenians
of Nagorno-Karabakh continue to live in economic and political
uncertainty. Armenia’s occupation of Azerbaijan has been costly in
many ways.

A lasting and durable peace settlement would bring about a major
positive change to the South Caucasus. The Azerbaijani-Georgian
partnership has already shown what can be reached when the parties
work towards regional cooperation. Should the Armenian leadership
demonstrate productive pragmatism, it can help integrate the nation
with the economic and democratic future of the region securing a
peace and prosperity for its people. Such a future would include open
communications and borders, including the Turkish-Armenian border,
which was closed in response to Armenia’s invasion and occupation of
the Azerbaijani region of Kelbajar, outside of NK region, in 1993. A
lasting and durable peace would advance U.S. interests as it provides
for lasting stability in a strategically important region where the
United States requires solid friends. Significantly, as the value
of the Caspian hydrocarbon resources increase for Europe’s energy
security and the South Caucasus transport corridor serves as the key
conduit for access to Afghanistan, a lasting and durable peace in
this region becomes an even higher priority. In addition, helping
Armenia and Azerbaijan to reach a settlement would demonstrate the
new Administration’s commitment to the new foreign policy of global
engagement and provide a positive tangible result for U.S.-Russian
cooperation.

Therefore, on behalf of the Azerbaijani-American and Turkish-American
communities, we support and encourage your Good Office to intensify
U.S. efforts towards reaching a just peace between Armenia and
Azerbaijan based on United Nations Security Council resolutions
and the Helsinki Final Act of 1975, and to seize this historic
opportunity. While we recognize the significant pressures that bear
from special interests opposed to peace for a variety of reasons,
including nationalist and religious ones, who have previously succeeded
to undermine peace efforts, we hope that America’s vision for the South
Caucasus is informed by its national interests and its relationship
with strategic partners in the region. Thank you.

Sincerely,

U.S. Azeris Network (USAN) Assembly of Turkish American Associations
(ATAA) Azerbaijani-American Council (AAC) Federation of Turkish
American Associations (FTAA) U.S.-Azerbaijan Council (USAC) U.S. Turkic
Network (USTN) Cultural Center of Caucasus Jews (CCCJ) Azerbaijan
Turkey America Foundation (ATAF) Houston Baku Sister City Association
(HBSCA)

Cc: The Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Vice-President of the United
States of America The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton, United States
Secretary of State

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress