[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7555]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


 IN HONOR OF THE 95TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AZERBAIJAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SUSAN A. DAVIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 22, 2013

  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate 
the people of the Republic of Azerbaijan in general, and the 
Azerbaijani community of San Diego in particular, on the 95th 
anniversary of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.
   On May 28, 1918, Azerbaijan declared its independence and 
established the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. The first-ever 
parliamentary democracy in the Muslim world, Azerbaijan proclaimed the 
right to vote for all regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, and 
religion, preceding even the United States in granting women equal 
political rights with men.
   This Republic was recognized by many advanced nations of the time, 
including the United States. In fact, following a meeting with a 
delegation of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic during the Paris Peace 
Conference in 1919, President Woodrow Wilson remarked that he and these 
men spoke the same language with respect to conceptions of liberty, 
right, and justice.
   Tragically, Azerbaijan's independence was interrupted when the 
Russian Red Army invaded the nation in 1920. Only in 1991, as the 
Soviet Union disintegrated, were the people of Azerbaijan given a 
second chance to restore their democracy and rejoin the world's 
community of free nations.
   Over the last twenty-two years, the Republic of Azerbaijan has 
consolidated its sovereignty and independence, and has become one of 
the fastest growing economies in the region and beyond. Azerbaijan is 
also a staunch ally and strategic partner of the United States in the 
critically important Caspian region.
   I congratulate the people of Azerbaijan on this important 
anniversary, and commend them on their continued efforts and commitment 
to building a strong and vibrant Azerbaijan.

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