05/28/14 - Statement submitted for the Congressional Record on Azerbaijan Republic Day - Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the Republic of Azerbaijan in celebration of the 96th anniversary of Republic Day on May 28th.

Azerbaijan and the United States have developed a robust and growing relationship over the last two decades. Today we remain indispensable friends, which is an asset as we face many common challenges.

Although located in a geopolitically tough location between Russia and Iran, Azerbaijan has consistently looked to the United States as an ally despite these difficult neighbors. A secular country with a predominantly Muslim population, Azerbaijan has also been home to vibrant Christian and Jewish communities representing a role model for peaceful coexistence and harmony of different religions and ethnic groups. It is remarkable that Azerbaijan provides roughly 40 percent of Israel's oil consumption. Azerbaijan's relations with Israel can serve as a model for many countries.

Azerbaijan was also the first country to open Caspian energy resources to development by U.S. and European companies and has emerged as a key player for global energy security. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline project, supported by successive U.S. Administrations, is the most successful project contributing to the development of the South Caucuses region. Currently Azerbaijan plays a leading role in opening up the Southern Gas Corridor, which will provide additional natural gas to Europe.

On a security front, Azerbaijan has been a key ally in a post 9/11 era, emerging as one of the first countries to offer strong support and assistance to the United States. Actively participating in joint operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Azerbaijan has also extended important overflight clearances for U.S. and NATO flights and provided key supply routes to Afghanistan by making available its ground and Caspian naval transportation facilities. The transit route through Azerbaijan accounts for some 40 percent of the Coalition supplies bound for Afghanistan.

As the Co-Chairman of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, it is my distinct pleasure to honor the Republic of Azerbaijan in celebration of the 96th anniversary of Republic Day and to recognize the valuable bilateral relationship between the United States and Azerbaijan . I also encourage my colleagues who are interested in supporting Azerbaijan to join me as a member of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, a bipartisan group of more than 60 Members of Congress working to help foster the growing partnership between the United States and Azerbaijan and to advance U.S. interests in this pivotal region.

03/05/14 - Statement submitted for the Congressional Record on Khojaly - Mr. Speaker, Azerbaijan is a key strategic partner of the United States, and I am honored to be Co-Chairman of the House Azerbaijan Caucus. Azerbaijan has been a key ally in a post 9/11 era, emerging as one of the first countries to offer strong support and assistance to the United States.

I would like to take a moment to recognize the anniversary of the tragedy that took place in Khojaly, Azerbaijan, a town and townspeople that were destroyed on February 26, 1992.

We just marked the 22nd anniversary of that devastating and heartbreaking day. Sadly, today there is little attention or interest paid to the plight of Khojaly outside of Azerbaijan. However, one of our greatest strengths as elected officials is the opportunity to bring to light truths that are little known and command recognition. As a friend of Azerbaijan, I am proud to remind my colleagues that we must never forget the tragedy that took place at Khojaly.

At the time, the Khojaly tragedy was widely documented by the international media, including the Boston Globe, Washington Post, New York Times, Financial Times, and many other European and Russian news agencies.

Khojaly, a town in the Nagorno -Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, now under the control of Armenian forces, was the site of the largest killing of ethnic Azerbaijani civilians. With a population of approximately 7,000, Khojaly was one of the largest urban settlements of the Nagorno -Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.

According to Human Rights Watch and other international observers the massacre was committed by the ethnic Armenian armed forces, reportedly with the help of the Russian 366th Motor Rifle Regiment. Human Rights Watch described the Khojaly Massacre as ``the largest massacre to date in the conflict'' over Nagorna-Karabakh. In a 1993 report, the watchdog group stated ``there are no exact figures for the number of Azeri civilians killed because Karabakh Armenian forces gained control of the area after the massacre'' and ``while it is widely accepted that 200 Azeris were murdered, as many as 500-1,000 may have died.''

Azerbaijan has been a strong strategic partner and friend of the United States. The tragedy of Khojaly was a crime against humanity and I urge my colleagues to join me in standing with Azerbaijanis as they commemorate this tragedy.

05/22/13 - Statement submitted for the Congressional Record on Azerbaijan - Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the Republic of Azer bai jan in celebration of the 95th anniversary of Republic Day on May 28th.

Azerbaijan and the United States have developed a robust and growing relationship over the last two decades. I am extremely proud that we have established what Secretary Clinton has called ``deep, important, and durable bonds between the United States and Azerbaijan .''

Although located in a geopolitically tough location between Russia and Iran, Azerbaijan has consistently looked to the United States as an ally despite these difficult neighbors. A secular country with a predominantly Muslim population, Azerbaijan has also been home to vibrant Christian and Jewish communities representing a role model for peaceful coexistence and harmony of different religions and ethnic groups.

Azerbaijan was also the first country to open Caspian energy resources to development by U.S. and European companies and has emerged as a key player for global energy security. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline project, supported by successive U.S. Administrations, is the most successful project contributing to the development of the South Caucuses region. Realization of the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) Project between Azerbaijan and Turkey will immensely contribute to energy security in Europe by exporting Azerbaijani natural gas to the European markets.

On a security front, Azerbaijan has been a key ally in a post 9 /11 era, emerging as one of the first countries to offer strong support and assistance to the United States. Actively participating in joint operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Azerbaijan has also extended important overflight clearances for U.S. and NATO flights and provided key supply routes to Afghanistan by making available its ground and Caspian naval transportation facilities. The transit route through Azerbaijan accounts for roughly 40 percent of the Coalition supplies bound for Afghanistan.

As the Co-Chairman of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, it is my distinct pleasure to honor the Republic of Azerbaijan in celebration of the 95th anniversary of Republic Day and to recognize the valuable bilateral relationship between the United States and Azerbaijan . I also encourage my colleagues who are interested in supporting Azerbaijan to join me as a member of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, a bipartisan group of more than 40 Members of Congress working to help foster the growing partnership between the United States and Azerbaijan and to advance U.S. interests in this pivotal region.

03/12/13 - Shuster and Cohen sent Dear Colleague urging members not to attend Karabakh event or support Karabakh and claiming that Karabakh has always been part of Azerbaijan. Letter on file.

02/06/13 - Dear Colleague circulated on Azeri Caucus -

Join the CONGRESSIONAL AZERBAIJAN CAUCUS
From: The Honorable Bill Shuster
Sent By: jamie.boone@mail.house.gov
Date: 2/6/2013

JOIN THE CONGRESSIONAL AZERBAIJAN CAUCUS

Dear Colleague:

As the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, we work together to highlight and promote the valuable bilateral relationship between the United States and Azerbaijan. We invite you to join us in this important effort by becoming a member of the Azerbaijan Caucus.

The largest and fastest growing country in the South Caucasus with a population of 9.2 million, Azerbaijan re-gained its independence in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. This secular country with the Republican form of Government enjoys a close and committed strategic relationship with the United States. Over the last two decades our two countries have developed a robust and growing relationship. Bilateral trade is expanding as Azerbaijan diversifies its economy.

Azerbaijan was the first predominantly Muslim country to send troops to Afghanistan and Iraq, serves an important role in the Northern Distribution Network providing ground, air and naval transit for roughly 35% of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) coalition?s supplies bound for Afghanistan. Azerbaijan is a partner in counterterrorism and nonprolifieration efforts, and continues to be an indispensable ally to the United States in the Caspian Sea region. Moreover, Azerbaijan is home to a large Jewish community and maintains close, friendly ties with Israel.

In addition, Azerbaijan is an important player in the global energy market as a producer of oil and natural gas. The development of Azerbaijan?s natural resources contributes greatly to the energy security of the United States, Israel and Europe. Since 2006, the Baku Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline has moved around one million barrels of Caspian oil daily from Azerbaijan to Turkey?s Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, bypassing Russian pipelines to deliver crude oil to the world?s oil market. Development of the second phase of the giant Shah Deniz gas field and construction of Azerbaijan-initiated Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) will greatly contribute to the opening of the Southern Gas Corridor that will be delivering non-Russian, non-Middle Eastern gas to the European market.

If you are interested in additional information related to Azerbaijan, or to become a member of the Caucus please contact Jamie Boone (Rep. Shuster) at 5-2431 or Jamie.boone@mail.house.govor Marilyn Dillihay (Rep. Cohen) at 5-3265 or Marilyn.dillihay@mail.house.gov.

Sincerely,


Bill Shuster Steve Cohen

Member of Congress Member of Congress

02/05/13 - Statement submitted for the Congressional Record on Khojaly -

Mr. Speaker, as the Co-Chairman of the House Azerbaijan Caucus, I rise today to bring attention to the tragedy that took place in Khojaly, Azerbaijan, a town and townspeople that were destroyed on February 26, 1992.

This month we will mark the 21st anniversary of that devastating and heartbreaking day. Sadly, today there is little attention or interest paid to the plight of Khojaly outside of Azerbaijan. However, one of our greatest strengths as elected officials is the opportunity to bring to light truths that are little known and command recognition. As a friend of Azerbaijan , I am proud to remind my colleagues that we must never forget the tragedy that took place at Khojaly.

At the time, the Khojaly tragedy was widely documented by the international media, including the Boston Globe, Washington Post, New York Times, Financial Times, and many other European and Russian news agencies.

Khojaly, a town in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan , now under the control of Armenian forces, was the site of the largest killing of ethnic Azerbaijani civilians. With a population of approximately 7,000, Khojaly was one of the largest urban settlements of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.

According to Human Rights Watch and other international observers the massacre was committed by the ethnic Armenian armed forces, reportedly with the help of the Russian 366th Motor Rifle Regiment. Human Rights Watch described the Khojaly Massacre as ``the largest massacre to date in the conflict'' over Nagorna-Karabakh. In a 1993 report, the watchdog group stated ``there are no exact figures for the number of Azeri civilians killed because Karabakh Armenian forces gained control of the area after the massacre'' and ``while it is widely accepted that 200 Azeris were murdered, as many as 500-1,000 may have died.''

Azerbaijan has been a strong strategic partner and friend of the United States. The tragedy of Khojaly was a crime against humanity and I urge my colleagues to join me in standing with Azerbaijanis as they commemorate this tragedy.

01/22/13 - Statement submitted for the Congressional Record on Black January -

Mr. Speaker, as the Co-Chairman of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, I rise today to join with the people of Azerbaijan to commemorate the tragic events of ``Black January.''

On January 19, 1990, approximately 26,000 Soviet troops stormed Azerbaijan's capital city of Baku in tanks and armored vehicles. That night, the Soviet military opened indiscriminate fire on peaceful demonstrators, including women and children. As a result of these merciless acts 131 people were killed, 611 were injured, 841 were arrested, and 5 went missing.

The Human Rights Watch report ``Black January in Azerbaijan' states that ``among the most heinous violations of human rights during the Baku incursion were the numerous attacks on medical personnel, ambulances, and even hospitals.'' The report concludes that the violence used by the Soviet Army constituted an exercise in collective punishment and that the punishment inflicted on Baku by Soviet soldiers may have been intended as a warning to nationalists, not only in Azerbaijan, but in other Republics of the Soviet Union.

Far from crushing the spirit of Azeris, the atrocities of Black January instead consolidated the rising independence movements in the country and united the Azerbaijani nation in its quest for freedom. After 23 years Azerbaijan represents a flourishing country where democratic aspirations of Azerbaijani people have been materialized as they continue diplomatic relations with the United States. It is my honor to thank the Azerbaijani people for their friendship and to offer my thoughts and prayers to the families of those who gave their lives for the independence of Azerbaijan.

I encourage my colleagues to visit the very moving memorial to Black January in Baku that honors the memories of those killed in these attacks by the Soviet military and to join with me today in standing with Azerbaijanis as they commemorate this tragedy.