Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 10 2008
Three members of US Congress make statement on 85th jubilee of Heydar
Aliyev
[ 10 May 2008 15:51 ]
Washington. Husniyya Hasanova -APA. Three members of US House of
Representatives made statement in the Congress on 85th jubilee of
Heydar Aliyev.
APA US bureau reports, Virginia Foxx of North Carolina said when
political strife and economic uncertainty engulfed the region, Heydar
Aliyev emerged in 1993 as President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Ms. Foxx named Heydar Aliyev as a strong person and leader. She said
late president steered his country through regional power struggles
and global changes. He negotiated a cease-fire in the war with
Armenia. He deepened Azerbaijan’s relationship with the United States,
Turkey, Israel, as well as countries in Western Europe. Focusing on
the `Contract of the Century” signed in 1994, the congresswoman
reminded that this project played irreplaceable role in
diversification of Western energy supplies.
Don Burton of Indiana said Heydar Aliyev worked tirelessly for more
than 30 years–first as part of the Soviet Union, and later as
President of a free and independent Azerbaijan– to build a strong,
vibrant, healthy and prosperous nation. He reminded that when
Azerbaijan regained its independence in 1991, domestic tensions fueled
by competing forces at home and the disastrous war in Nagorno-Karabakh-
-which resulted in the military occupation of 20 percent of
Azerbaijan, and nearly one million refugees and internally displaced
people–threatened to rip the country apart. Many Azerbaijanis were
fearful that their first experience as the short-lived first Republic
in the Muslim world (1918-1920), would be repeated. `Heydar Aliyev,
however, had a vision for Azerbaijan and opened up the country to
investment from the United States, Western Europe, Russia, and Turkey
and Azerbaijan soon became a pioneer in opening the Caspian Sea to
international cooperation and oil and gas exploration’. The
congressman spoke about the importance of Baku-Tbilisi- Ceyhan (BTC)
oil pipeline and Baku-Tbilisi- Erzurum gas pipeline.
Bernice Johnson of Texas spoke about the role of Heydar Aliyev in the
regional and international development of Azerbaijan. He said
Azerbaijan became the first former Soviet Republic outside the Baltic
States with no foreign troops on its soil. Azerbaijan joined NATO’s
Partnership for Peace Program in 1994 and was one of the initiators of
GUAM. Azerbaijan has excellent relations with Israel and there is a
Jewish community in the country. Bernice Johnson said because of the
late President Aliyev’s efforts, today Azerbaijan is a developing
democracy with a growing and vibrant economy. There are no longer any
doubts regarding the viability of this Republic.