MEMBERS OF U.S. CONGRESS CALL TO REPEAL SECTION 907 ADOPTED WITH RESPECT TO AZERBAIJAN

APA
April 29 2010
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. Members of the House Caucus on Azerbaijan sent a letter
to Nita Lowey, chair of the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee
of the House Appropriations Committee, APA reports quoting AzerTAC
state agency.

The letter signed by co-chairs of the Caucus Bill Shuster, Solomon
Ortiz, activists Michael McMahon and Eddie Bernice Johnson says that
the lawmakers call on the chair of the subcommittee to support the
assistance programs serving to strengthen US-Azerbaijan relations
while considering 2011 fiscal year budget.

They consider that a number of important points should be taken into
consideration, no aid should be allocated to the separatist Nagorno
Karabakh regime. Expressing their concern about it, the congressmen
say there is no ethnic Azerbaijani in Nagorno Karabakh recognized by
the international community as the territory of sovereign Azerbaijan.

The conflict is a sensitive issue both for Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Some groups use the will of the Congress for their political purposes.

The members of the Congress mention that the US being OSCE Minsk
co-chair has neutral position on the conflict. The Subcommittee should
refrain from any step violating this neutrality, damaging the relations
with Azerbaijan, the reliable partner of the US.

The members of the Congress also call to repeal the Section 907
to Freedom Support Act. They note that Section 907 bans any kind
of direct United States aid to the Azerbaijani government, impedes
extension of the strategic partnership between our countries.

They say as improvement of the relations with the Muslim world is
one of the priorities of the policy of Obama administration, the US
should strengthen the relations with Azerbaijan, its reliable partner
in energy security, struggle against the international terrorism

The members of the Caucus call on Nita Lowey to take into consideration
all these points and include these notes into 2011 fiscal year budget.