05/28/14 - Statement submitted for the Congressional Record on Azerbaijan Republic Day - Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me today in recognizing the 96th Azerbaijan Republic Day.

Republic Day celebrates Azerbaijan's declaration of independence from the Russian Empire in 1918.

That hard-won independence, however, was short-lived as the new Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan was soon occupied by the Soviet Union. After the Soviet collapse in 1990, Azerbaijan regained its independence.

A valuable international ally, Azerbaijan was among the first nations offering unconditional support to the United States in the war against al Qaeda, providing a safe transit route to resupply our troops in Afghanistan.

Azerbaijan leads the Central Asian area in regional economic cooperation and is a key player in European energy security matters.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House to join me in thanking the people of Azerbaijan for their friendship and in congratulating Azerbaijanis around the world on the anniversary of Republic Day.

02/25/14 - Statement submitted for the Congressional Record on Khojaly - Mr. Speaker, since declaring its independence from the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan has been a reliable friend and valuable ally of the United States. For this reason, it seems appropriate for Congress to commemorate the victims of the Khojaly tragedy as the Azerbaijani people mark the anniversary of this event.

Since the early 1990s, Azerbaijan has been involved in a conflict with its neighbor to the West, Armenia. The Khojaly tragedy was the single worst day in this conflict, resulting in hundreds of lives lost, families devastated, and the town destroyed. Given our deepening ties with Azerbaijan, it is important for Americans to remember this event.

A cease-fire was negotiated in 1994, but the conflict remains unresolved. I remain confident a resolution will be found. The United States is serving as a co-chair to the Minsk Group, along with France and Russia. Together these three nations are working to facilitate a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

The anniversary of this horrible tragedy is an appropriate time to honor the victims of these atrocities and reflect on the need for all parties to work together to bring a swift end to this conflict. I urge my colleagues to join me in standing with Azerbaijanis as they commemorate this tragedy.

02/25/13 - Statement submitted for the Congressional Record on Khojaly - Mr. Speaker, since declaring its independence from the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan has been a reliable friend and valuable ally of the United States in a turbulent region. In this true spirit of friendship, it seems appropriate for Congress to commemorate the victims of the Khojaly tragedy as Azerbaijani people mark the 21st anniversary of this event.

The town of Khojaly is located in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and was home to some 7,000 Azerbaijani citizens during the Armenian-Azerbaijani war. On February 25 and 26 of 1992, in a period of less than 12 hours, 613 citizens, including women and children, died at the hands of Armenian forces and Russian military troops.

Human rights organizations described the advancing forces as having committed unconscionable acts of violence against civilians as they fled. The bodies of fallen men, women and children were observed by foreign journalists who visited the region in the wake of the tragedy. Given our deepening ties with Azerbaijan , it is important for American citizens to remember this event.

Twenty-one years later, the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict has not yet been fully resolved. The anniversary of this horrible tragedy is an appropriate time to honor the victims of these atrocities and reflect on the need for all parties to work together to bring a swift end to this conflict. I urge my colleagues to join me in standing with Azerbaijanis as they commemorate this tragedy.