[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 14 (Wednesday, January 23, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E81-E82]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            OBSERVING THE 29TH ANNIVERSARY OF BLACK JANUARY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. STEVE CHABOT

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 23, 2019

  Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, I rise today in observance of the 29th 
anniversary of Black January, January 20, a historic and tragic day in 
the history of the country of Azerbaijan and to remember the lives lost 
at the hands of Soviet brutality 29 years ago.
  On the night of January 20, 1990, 26,000 Soviet troops invaded the 
capital city of Baku and surrounding areas. As a result of this violent 
crackdown on the Azerbaijani people, more than 147 innocent civilians 
died, around 800 people were injured, and hundreds were arrested. This 
event has remained embedded in Azerbaijan's national history and in the 
minds of its citizens as ``Black January.'' This tragic event is seen 
as the rebirth of the Azerbaijan Republic.

[[Page E82]]

  This attack was a desperate attempt to squelch the independence 
movement that was gaining momentum in Azerbaijan and to rescue the 
totalitarian regime, the rule of Communist Party, and the whole Soviet 
Union. This attack, however, produced opposite results, further 
inflaming the independence movement in Azerbaijan as well as those in 
other Republics of the former Soviet Union.
  Popular pressure led the country to break away from Soviet rule and 
declare its independence. On August 30, 1991, Azerbaijan's Parliament 
adopted the Declaration on the Restoration of the State Independence of 
the Republic of Azerbaijan, and on October 18, 1991, the Constitutional 
Act on the State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan was 
approved.
  November 1991 marked the beginning of international recognition of 
Azerbaijan's independence. The United States was among the first 
nations to recognize the young country's independence when we 
established diplomatic relations on February 28, 1992 and opened an 
embassy in Baku in March.
  Today, the U.S. and Azerbaijan share many interests and objectives 
for the region as we cooperate on a broad range of issues, especially 
energy development and security concerns.
  I encourage my colleagues to join with me and the Azerbaijani people 
as they remember this tragedy.

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