05/31/12 - Statement submitted for the Congressional Record on Azerbaijan - Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the Republic of Azerbaijan in celebration of the 94th 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 proud extremely 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 dynamic region sandwiched between Russia and Iran, Azerbaijan has consistently looked to the United States as an ally despite these difficult neighbors. A secular county with a predominantly Muslim population, Azerbaijan has also been home for over a millennia 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 both the Clinton and George W. Bush Administrations, is the most successful project contributing to the development of the South Caucuses region. Exporting around 1 million barrels of oil and gas from the Caspian Sea basin to international markets, Azerbaijan also provides nearly 40 percent of all crude oil supplies to Israel. Additionally, the successful launch and continued exploration of the Shah Deniz project will open up the Southern Gas Corridor delivering alternative gas supplies to Europe, further contributing towards a movement away from dependence on Middle Eastern Oil and energy suppliers.

Azerbaijan has also continued to take steps to ensure the strength and security of its infrastructure in a tumultuous region. The completion of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad connection expected in early 2013, expansion of cargo and passenger terminal of the Baku international airport, and construction of the brand new Baku International Sea Trade Port all are key contributors to Azerbaijan's increasing role as a transportation hub in the region linking European and Asian 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 over-flight clearances of U.S. and NATO flights and provided key supply routes to Afghanistan by making available its ground and Caspian naval transportation facilities providing ground and naval transit for roughly 40 percent of the Coalitions 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 94th 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 Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, a bipartisan group of more than 50 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.

02/17/12 - 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 20th 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 covered 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.

01/19/12 - Statement submitted for the Congressional Record on Azerbaijan - 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 bulldozed innocent Azeris and opened indiscriminate fire on peaceful demonstrators, including women and children. According to Azerbaijani sources, 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.

In their honor, every January 20, thousands gather in Martyr's Cemetery in Baku to honor the dead and the nation's commitment to independence and freedom. In doing so, it is clear the victims of ``Black January'' did not perish in vain.

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. Today, Azerbaijan is a critical and strategic ally of the United States and is preparing to celebrate 20 years of 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.

10/18/11 - Statement submitted for the Congressional Record on Azerbaijan - Mr. Speaker, as the Co-Chairman of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, I would like to take this opportunity to honor the Republic of Azerbaijan as it celebrates the 20th anniversary of the restoration of Azerbaijan's independence.

Located in a geopolitically dynamic region between Europe and Asia and sandwiched between Russia and Iran, Azerbaijan is a secular county with a predominantly Muslim population that has also been home for more than a millennia for vibrant Christian and Jewish communities.

Azerbaijan and the United States enjoy a strong partnership founded on shared interests in global and regional security, energy and economic development, democratic reforms, and respect for human rights. President Obama has called Azerbaijan a ``young democracy'' during his meeting with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev in September 2010, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stressed during her July 2010 trip to Azerbaijan that ``the bonds between the United States and Azerbaijan and deep, important, and durable.''

The past 20 years have seen Azerbaijan make great leaps in consolidating its sovereignty and political independence, and they are on the path towards building strong democratic institutions and a diversified economy that will further contribute to the welfare of the people of Azerbaijan . As I frequently remind my colleagues, the United States has more than 230 years of experience developing into the modern democracy we are today. It is critical that the United States provide our support and friendship to our partners in Azerbaijan as they continue to develop.

Azerbaijan has opened Caspian energy resources to development by U.S. companies and has emerged as a key player for global energy security. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline project is the most successful project contributing to the development of the South Caucasus region and has become the main artery delivering Caspian Sea hydrocarbons to the U.S. and our partners in Europe. Notably, in 2009 Azerbaijan provided nearly one quarter of all crude oil supplies to Israel and is considered a leading potential natural gas provider for the U.S.-supported Nabucco pipeline. It is important for the United States to continue to provide support for the development of the Southern Corridor that will further strengthen energy security.

On the security front, immediately after 9/11 Azerbaijan was among the first to offer strong support and assistance to the United States. Azerbaijan participated in operations in Kosovo and Iraq and is actively engaged in Afghanistan, having recently doubled its military presence there. Azerbaijan has extended important over-flight clearances for U.S. and NATO flights to support ISAF and has regularly provided landing and refueling operations at its airports for U.S. and NATO forces. Also, Azerbaijan , as highlighted by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, plays an important role in the Northern Distribution Network, a supply route to Afghanistan by making available its ground and Caspian naval transportation facilities. Moreover, Azerbaijan provides vital support for U.S. nonproliferation efforts.

Again, as the Co-Chairman of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, it is my distinct pleasure to congratulate the people of Azerbaijan and President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of this important anniversary. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this important milestone in the history of Azerbaijan also encourage my colleagues who are interested in supporting Azerbaijan to join me as a member of Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, a bipartisan group of nearly 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.

09/15/11 - Remarks offered on the House floor on Azerbaijan - The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 5, 2011, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.

I thank the Speaker.

Today, I rise to honor the distinguished service of my good friend, His Excellency Yashar Aliyev, who in October 2006 was appointed by President Ilham Aliyez as Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United States of America.

I am proud to serve as the cochairman of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus.

Azerbaijan is an important strategic partner of the United States. Located in a geopolitically dynamic region between Europe and Asia and sandwiched between Russia and Iran, Azerbaijan is a secular country with a predominantly Muslim population that has also been home for more than a millennia to vibrant Christian and Jewish communities. Azerbaijan has opened Caspian energy resources to development by U.S. companies and has emerged as a key player for global energy security.

On the security front, immediately after 9/11, Azerbaijan was among the first to offer strong support and assistance to the United States. Azerbaijan participated in operations in Kosova and Iraq and is actively engaged in Afghanistan, having recently doubled its military presence there.

Ambassador Aliyev has made an indelible mark on deepening U.S. and Azerbaijan relations.

Bilateral trade is expanding as Azerbaijan diversifies its economy, enabling it to increasingly contribute to the economic growth of the United States.

Baku and Washington cooperate on coun ter ter ror ism and nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Moreover, this continued development of Azerbaijan's natural resources contributes greatly to the energy security of the United States and Europe. Working with Ambassador Aliyev, we have more than doubled the size of the Azerbaijan Caucus in Congress and continue to bring attention to this vital strategic partner.

Prior to his appointment as Ambassador, Aliyev served as Azerbaijan's permanent representative to the United Nations from 2002 to 2006. During this period he was chairman of the Fourth Committee of Special Political and Decolonization of the 60th U.N. General Assembly, vice president of the 59th General Assembly, vice president of the Economic and Social Council from 2004 to 2005, and vice president of the U.N. Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects in 2001.

Ambassador Aliyev began his diplomatic career at the United Nations in 1992, serving as political affairs counselor and charge d'affaires of Azerbaijan's permanent mission. He was also Azerbaijan's first delegate to the First and Fourth Committees at the 47th through 56th sessions of the United Nations General Assembly.

Having joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Azerbaijan in 1989, Ambassador Aliyev held the posts of political officer, first secretary and deputy director in the Ministry's Department of Information and Political Analysis, as well as director of the Department of International Organizations.

Ambassador Aliyev took up oriental studies at Azerbaijan State University in 1972 and received the school's highest degree in 1977. He pursued postgraduate research at the Oriental Studies Institute of Russia's Academy of Sciences in Moscow from 1980 to 1982. In the early 1990s, he also studied for a year at the Diplomatic Academy of Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is fluent in English, Arabic, Russian, and Turkish.

On a personal note, I will miss Ambassador Aliyev, and I extend to him my highest regards and well wishes, to him and to his family in all their future endeavors. In our years working together, the Ambassador has become a truly valued friend.

It has been my pleasure to visit Azerbaijan twice with him and also to host him in my district in Pennsylvania on two occasions, including sharing a recent birthday celebration together.

Ambassador Aliyev, best wishes in all your future endeavors. I look forward to building on our future partnership with Azerbaijan and continuing our friendship in years to come.

I yield back the balance of my time.

09/14/11 - Statement submitted for the Congressional Record - Mr. Speaker, as the Co-Chairman of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Azerbaijan and the Azeri people for their ongoing support of the United States and our allies in the Global War on Terror. Azerbaijan has been a consistent supporter of U.S. efforts in the fight against terrorism, and the Azeris have worked with us to strengthen economic and political stability in the Caspian region. It is important that we recognize the sacrifices made by our allies and continue to thank them for their support.

As we reflect back on the recently passed 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, we must remember that the fight against terrorism is not a fight against Islam. On September 11, 2001, Americans of all faiths and citizens from around the world tragically lost their lives.

Today, uniformed and civilian men and women around the world work shoulder to shoulder to combat the ongoing threat of terrorist attacks that don't just affect the United States, but virtually every nation. This effort is not one of faith; rather it is an effort to keep citizens of all nations safe from barbaric acts of terrorism.

Immediately after 9/11, Azerbaijan , a majority Muslim nation, was among the first to offer strong support and assistance to the United States. Azerbaijan participated in operations Iraq and is actively engaged in Afghanistan, having recently doubled its military presence there. Azerbaijan has extended important over-flight clearances for U.S. and NATO flights to support ISAF and has regularly provided landing and refueling operations at its airports for U.S. and NATO forces. Also, Azerbaijan plays an important role in the Northern Distribution Network, a supply route to Afghanistan by making available its ground and Caspian naval transportation facilities.

Additionally, Azerbaijan provides specialized training for Afghan police, border guard officers and de-miners, education and training of Afghan civilian and military medical doctors, and medical treatment of Afghan citizens at Azeri hospitals. Azerbaijan has provided medical equipment and supplies to Afghanistan as well as assisting in the construction of schools and hospitals there.

Azerbaijan remains a reliable partner of NATO and the EU in the South Caucuses through its consistent and effective contribution to common goals and objectives. Azerbaijan is also an active partner of the United States in efforts regarding the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction through its participation in programs such as Caspian Guard and Cooperative Threat Reduction.

On July 5, 2011, an Azerbaijani aircraft flying a support mission for NATO troops crashed as it descended into Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. While it is my understanding that investigations are ongoing, it has come to my attention that one leading theory is that Taliban fighters may have shot down the aircraft as it made its final approach. While we await further information on exactly what happened that night in Afghanistan, it is important that we recognize the loss of life of the nine crew members on board that flight who made the ultimate sacrifice.

While we can take comfort knowing that we are not alone in this fight, we must also make sure we comfort those who make sacrifices alongside us. It is with a heavy heart that I offer my thanks and appreciation to the family, friends, and countrymen to those crew members of Silk Way Airlines IL-76. The world is a safer place due to their commitment to support and supply our troops and allies in their hunt for those seeking to harm peace-loving people around the world.

05/11/11 - Statement submitted for the Congressional Record on Azerbaijan - Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the Republic of Azerbaijan in celebration of the 93rd anniversary of Republic Day on May 28th. Later this year, Azerbaijan will also celebrate the 20th anniversary of its freedom from the Soviet Union and the start of diplomatic relations with the United States.

Located in a geopolitically dynamic region between Europe and Asia and sandwiched between Russia and Iran, Azerbaijan is a secular county with a predominantly Muslim population that has also been home for more than a millennia for vibrant Christian and Jewish communities.

Azerbaijan has opened Caspian energy resources to development by U.S. companies and has emerged as a key player for global energy security. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline project is the most successful project contributing to the development of the South Caucuses region and has become the main artery delivering Caspian Sea hydrocarbons to the U.S. and our partners in Europe. Notably, in 2009 Azerbaijan provided nearly one quarter of all crude oil supplies to Israel and is considered a leading potential natural gas provider for the U.S. supported Nabucco pipeline.

On the security front, immediately after 9/11 Azerbaijan was among the first to offer strong support and assistance to the United States. Azerbaijan participated in operations in Kosovo and Iraq and is actively engaged in Afghanistan, having recently doubled its military presence there. Azerbaijan has extended important over-flight clearances for U.S. and NATO flights to support ISAF and has regularly provided landing and refueling operations at its airports for U.S. and NATO forces. Also, Azerbaijan , as highlighted by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, plays an important role in the Northern Distribution Network, a supply route to Afghanistan by making available its ground and Caspian naval transportation facilities. Moreover, Azerbaijan provides vital support for U.S. nonproliferation efforts.

Again, as the Co-Chairman of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, it is my distinct pleasure to honor the Republic of Azerbaijan in celebration of the 93rd 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 Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, a bipartisan group of nearly 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.

05/03/11 - In speech on Afghanistan praised Azerbaijan and Georgia for sending troops without any conditions.

02/17/11 - 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.

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 covered 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.''

Newsweek Magazine reported: ``Azerbaijan was a charnel house again last week: a place of mourning refugees and dozens of mangled corpses dragged to a makeshift morgue behind the mosque. They were ordinary Azerbaijani men, women and children of Khojaly, a small village in war-torn Nagorno-Karabakh overrun by Armenian forces on 25-26 February. Many were killed at close range while trying to flee; some had their faces mutilated, others were scalped.''

Time Magazine stated ``While the details are argued, this much is plain: something grim and unconscionable happened in the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly two weeks ago. So far, some 200 dead Azerbaijanis, many of them mutilated, have been transported out of the town tucked inside the Armenian-dominated enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh for burial in neighboring Azerbaijan . The total number of deaths--the Azerbaijanis claim 1,324 civilians have been slaughtered, most of them women and children--is unknown.''

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.

01/19/11 - Statement submitted for the Congressional Record on Azerbaijan - 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 bulldozed innocent Azeris and opened indiscriminate fire on peaceful demonstrators, including women and children. According to Azerbaijani sources, 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. Today, Azerbaijan is a critical and strategic ally of the United States and is preparing to celebrate 20 years of independence from the Soviet Union.

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.

01-24-11 - Patton Boggs LLP met with Steve Martinko from Representative Shuster's office on behalf of the government of Azerbaijan regarding U.S.-Azerbaijan bilateral relations

02-15-11 - Patton Boggs LLP met with Steve Martinko & Melissa Cox Bosse from Representative Shuster's office on behalf of the government of Azerbaijan regarding U.S.-Azerbaijan bilateral relations

02-17-11 - Patton Boggs LLP met with Steve Martinko from Representative Shuster's office on behalf of the government of Azerbaijan regarding U.S.-Azerbaijan bilateral relations

05-20-11 - Christine Rake from Caspian Group LLC met with Steve Martinko from Representative Shuster's office on behalf of the government of Turkey regarding U.S.-Turkish Relations

06-23-11 - Azerbaijan America Alliance Corporation contacted Stephen Martinko from Representative Shuster's office on behalf of the government of Azerbaijan regarding Introduction to the Azerbaijan America Alliance

06-23-11 - Azerbaijan America Alliance Corporation contacted Representative Shuster on behalf of the government of Azerbaijan regarding Introduction to the Azerbaijan America Alliance

10-05-11 - Azerbaijan America Alliance Corporation contacted Stephen Martinko from Representative Shuster's office on behalf of the government of Azerbaijan regarding Update on the Alliance's Progress