[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 75 (Wednesday, May 7, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E846]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 COMMEMORATING PRESIDENT HEYDAR ALIYEV

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 7, 2008

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, on May 10, we 
commemorate the 85th Jubilee of the late President Heydar Aliyev. 
President Aliyev's significant contributions to the country of 
Azerbaijan provided a fertile ground for the seeds of democracy to 
flourish after Soviet rule and have paved the road for Azerbaijan's 
regional and international success.
  Azerbaijan is the gateway to Central Asia. It is on the modern Silk 
Road which transports goods and services from China through Central 
Asian countries, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Remarkably, with only 19 
years of independence, Azerbaijan has become a key player in this 
region. After brief independence from 1918-1920, Azerbaijan fell under 
Russian domination for 70 years. When Soviet troops invaded Baku on 
January 20, 1990, many died, including innocent civilians, thereby 
giving birth to the independence movement in the country.
  After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the emergence of a 
democratic Azerbaijan Republic, the first few years were not easy. 
While Azerbaijan became the first former Soviet Republic outside the 
Baltic States with no foreign troops on its soil, it was a small 
country with powerful neighbors. Mindful of its geography, Azerbaijan 
developed close ties with the United States, Western Europe, Turkey, 
and Israel.
  In 1993, Heydar Aliyev became President of the Republic, first by 
appointment under the constitution, then through direct election. A 
cease-fire in the war with Armenia over the Nagorno Karabakh region of 
Azerbaijan was negotiated and implemented in 1994. During this time, 
the country's economy was wrecked by war and burdened by the effects of 
communism. Parliament began enacting laws to make the country 
friendlier to foreign investment and a member of the international 
market economy.
  In 1994, the ``Contract of the Century'' was signed between American 
and western companies and Azerbaijan. The Contract was designed to 
allow Azerbaijan to develop its energy resources in order to diversify 
western energy supplies. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline (supported by 
both the Clinton and Bush Administrations) is now fully operational, 
and helps to bolster the political and commercial independence of the 
countries in the region, while diversifying Europe's energy supplies.
  President Aliyev was clear regarding Azerbaijan's western 
orientation. Azerbaijan joined NATO's Partnership for Peace Program in 
1994, and has consistently integrated into the Euro-Atlantic security 
architecture; further deepening U.S.-Azerbaijani military to military 
cooperation.
  Azerbaijan works with the U.S., both bilaterally and multilaterally, 
through the GUAM framework (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova) 
to prevent illegal trafficking and to secure borders. A strong friend 
of the United States, President Heydar Aliyev offered support for the 
fight against terrorism immediately after 9/11. Today Azerbaijani 
troops are in Iraq and Afghanistan with the coalition.
  Azerbaijan has excellent relations with Israel and a 2,000 year old 
Jewish community with representation in Parliament. As a secular 
country with a predominantly Shiia population, the participation of its 
troops in Iraq and Afghanistan sends the right message regarding 
international cooperation.
  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. The future 
of U.S.-Azerbaijani relations is bright, as our two countries share 
values and interests in the region.

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