06/27/12 - Remarks submitted for the Congressional Record on Azerbaijan - Mr. Speaker, I rise to draw my colleagues' attention to the tiny nation of Azerbaijan , which is a giant in world affairs.

Situated between Iran and Russia, Azerbaijan stands as a friend of the United States and that friendship frequently concerns nearby nations.

Part of what makes Azerbaijan a remarkable ally for the United States is that some 20 million Iranians are of Azeri descent, a large part of northern Iran is frequently referred to as ``southern Azerbaijan'' as a reminder that the territory was - for centuries - part of Azerbaijan .

The development of Azeri oil and gas in the Caspian Sea, along with the major Azeri export pipelines that pump energy to Western markets, makes the region all the more strategic as a U.S. ally.

But it is their geographical location to Afghanistan that makes them absolutely an essential ally for the U.S. Azerbaijan provides a crucial transit route to supply our troops in Afghanistan. With the expected closing of Manas air base in 2014, this route will be even more essential to our troops. They are a Muslim nation that is our friend, and our ally in the world.

This Muslim nation is the example for a secular society of religious diversity. A majority Muslim nation with a significant population of Jews, Azerbaijan is an ally of Israel. Just this month, on the anniversary of Pope John Paul II's visit to Azerbaijan , the Vatican's Cardinal Fernando Filoni spoke at the Catholic Church of Baku, reminding us that ``An atmosphere of exemplary tolerance exists in Azerbaijan .''

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing the importance of Azerbaijan --both to the United States and to the world.

02/18/11 - Remarks submitted for the Congressional Record on Khojaly - Mr. Speaker, today I wish to recognize the estimated 1,000 civilians who on February 26, 1992 were indiscriminately scalped, tortured, and killed in the town of Khojaly, an Azerbaijani-populated town in Nagorno-Karabakh. Many of us know that post-Soviet conflicts in Eastern Europe and Central Asia led to brutal ethnic cleansing, but few have heard of the people of Khojaly, who were massacred by Armenian militants. The ethnic cleansing was successful, and the town no longer exists. Although the tragedy received widespread media coverage, since then it has largely been forgotten. I hope that now and every year after this atrocity, we can pray for the victims.

Azerbaijan's Muslim, Christian, and Jewish communities come together against ethnic cleansing at this time of the year, commemorating the lives of the Khojaly victims and calling on the international community to condemn the bloodshed. Their pleas do not fall on deaf ears.

There are still victims of the conflict in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Hundreds of thousands of people are displaced, and ethnic cleansing has continued even after 1992.

I have met victims of the Rwandan genocide, who are still healing to this day. I went to Bosnia shortly after the war and saw the effect of ethnic cleansing there. I know what a detrimental effect this can have to a region, in this case even wiping a small town off the map. I recognize that even now, atrocities are occurring in Kashmir and Darfur, and innocent civilians are paying the price while we in the international community have more to do.

Mr. Speaker, I hope that Azerbaijan and Armenia can come to a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, and I hope that the civilians suffering right now will soon see an end to ethnic cleansing. The memories of the women, men, and children of Khojaly should propel us to condemn such practices.

02-08-11 - Patton Boggs LLP met with Nafees Syed from Representative Johnson's office on behalf of the government of Azerbaijan regarding U.S.-Azerbaijan bilateral relations

05-17-11 - Patton Boggs LLP met with Nafees Syed from Representative Johnson's office on behalf of the government of Azerbaijan regarding U.S.-Azerbaijan bilateral relations

07-08-11 - Christine Rake from Caspian Group LLC met with Murat Gokcigdem from Representative Johnson's office on behalf of the government of Turkey regarding U.S.-Turkish Relations

07-12-11 - Christine Rake from Caspian Group LLC called Murat Gokcigdem from Representative Johnson's office on behalf of the government of Turkey regarding U.S.-Turkish Relations

07-14-11 - Patton Boggs LLP met with Jamie Jackson from Representative Johnson's office on behalf of the government of Azerbaijan regarding U.S.-Azerbaijan bilateral relations

07-14-11 - Patton Boggs LLP met with Jamie Lee Jackson from Representative Johnson's office on behalf of the government of Azerbaijan regarding U.S.-Azerbaijan bilateral relations

07-20-11 - Christine Rake from Caspian Group LLC called Murat Gokcigdem from Representative Johnson's office on behalf of the government of Turkey regarding U.S.-Turkish Relations

09-16-11 - Patton Boggs LLP contacted Jamie Jackson from Representative Johnson's office on behalf of the government of Azerbaijan regarding U.S.-Azerbaijan bilateral relations

11-30-11 - Albert Wynn from Dickstein Shapiro LLP e-mailed Murat Gokcigdem from Representative Johnson's office on behalf of the government of Turkey regarding the Jazz Series Event

12-16-11 - Albert Wynn from Dickstein Shapiro LLP e-mailed Murat Gokcigdem from Representative Johnson's office on behalf of the government of Turkey regarding H. Res. 306

02-02-12 - Albert Wynn from Dickstein Shapiro LLP contacted Murat Gokcigdem from Representative Johnson's office on behalf of the government of Turkey regarding Jazz Event at the Turkish Embassy

02-17-12 - Khayal Sharif-zadeh from Azerbaijan America Alliance Corporation contacted Jamie Lee Jackson from Representative Johnson's office on behalf of the government of Azerbaijan regarding Introduction to the Alliance

06-18-12 - Khayal Sharif-zadeh from Azerbaijan America Alliance Corporation contacted Jamie Lee Jackson from Representative Johnson's office on behalf of the government of Azerbaijan regarding Update on the Alliance's Progress