A GROUP OF CONGRESSMEN SENDS LETTER TO BARACK OBAMA REFLECTING IMPORTANCE OF US-AZERBAIJAN RELATIONS
APA
March 30 2010
Azerbaijan
Baku – APA. Ten members of the Caucus on Azerbaijan in the U.S.
Congress sent a letter to President Barack Obama reflecting the
importance of Azerbaijan-US relations.
Foreign Ministry’s press service told APA that it was due to the
activity of the Azerbaijani embassy in the US.
The letter said: "We are contacting you to express our views regarding
the Republic of Azerbaijan. As you know, Azerbaijan is an important
strategic partner of the United States. Located in a geopolitically
dynamic region between Europe and Asia and sandwiched between Russia
and Iran, Azerbaijan is a secular county with a predominantly Muslim
population that has also been home for more than a millennia for
vibrant Christian and Jewish communities. Azerbaijan has opened Caspian
energy resources to development by U.S companies and has emerged
as a key player for global energy security. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
pipeline project, supported by both the Clinton and George W. Bush
Administrations, is the most successful project contributing to the
development of the South Caucuses region and has become the main
artery delivering Caspian Sea hydrocarbons to the US and our partners
in Europe. Notably, in 2009 Azerbaijan provided nearly one quarter of
all crude oil supplies to Israel and is considered a leading potential
natural gas provider for the U.S supported Nabucco pipeline.
On the security front, immediately after 9/11 Azerbaijan was among
the first to offer strong support and assistance to the United States.
Azerbaijan participated in operations in Kosovo and Iraq and
is actively engaged in Afghanistan, having recently doubled its
military presence there. Azerbaijan has extended important over-flight
clearances for US and NATO flights to support ISAF and has regularly
provided landing and refueling operations at its airports for US and
NATO forces. Also, Azerbaijan plays an important role in the Northern
Distribution Network, a supply route to Afghanistan by making available
its ground and Caspian naval transportation facilities.
Additionally, Azerbaijan provides specialized training for Afghan
police, border guard officers and de-miners, education and training of
Afghan civilian and military medical doctors, and medical treatment of
Afghan citizens at Azeri hospitals. Azerbaijan has provided medical
equipment and supplies to Afghanistan as well as assisting in the
construction of schools and hospitals there. Azerbaijan remains a
reliable partner of NATO and the EU in the South Caucuses through its
consistent and effective contribution to common goals and objectives.
Azerbaijan is also an active partner of the United States in efforts
regarding the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction through
its participation in programs such as Caspian Guard and Cooperative
Threat Reduction. Against this backdrop, Section 907 of the Freedom
Support Act of 1992, which prohibits direct U.S government assistance
to Azerbaijan, remains a serious obstacle to expanding the strategic
partnership between our two counties and is contrary to U.S. national
interest in the region. Furthermore, the absence of a U.S. Ambassador
to Baku since July 2009 creates unnecessary uncertainties. Finally,
as one of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group charged with resolving
the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the United States
must engage more actively in mediation efforts, as is the case with
Moscow and Paris.
Thank you in advance for your consideration. We look forward to
continuing to work with you as we engage with Azerbaijan on these
and other important issues".
The letter was sent by the Congressmen Bill Shuster, Michael Conaway,
Dan Burton, Howard Coble, Denny Rehberg, Solomon Ortiz, Michael
McMahon, John Boozman, Sue Myrick and Tim Ryan.