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Three members of US Congress make statement on 85th jubilee of Heydar Aliyev

10 May 2008 12:51 (UTC +04:00)

APA US bureau reports, Virginia Foxx of North Carolina said when political strife and economic uncertainty engulfed the region, Heydar Aliyev emerged in 1993 as President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Ms. Foxx named Heydar Aliyev as a strong person and leader. She said late president steered his country through regional power struggles and global changes. He negotiated a cease-fire in the war with Armenia. He deepened Azerbaijan’s relationship with the United States, Turkey, Israel, as well as countries in Western Europe. Focusing on the â€œContract of the Century’’ signed in 1994, the congresswoman reminded that this project played irreplaceable role in diversification of Western energy supplies.
Don Burton of Indiana said Heydar Aliyev worked tirelessly for more than 30 years--first as part of the Soviet Union, and later as President of a free and independent Azerbaijan-- to build a strong, vibrant, healthy and prosperous nation. He reminded that when Azerbaijan regained its independence in 1991, domestic tensions fueled by competing forces at home and the disastrous war in Nagorno-Karabakh- -which resulted in the military occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijan, and nearly one million refugees and internally displaced people--threatened to rip the country apart. Many Azerbaijanis were fearful that their first experience as the short-lived first Republic in the Muslim world (1918-1920), would be repeated. â€œHeydar Aliyev, however, had a vision for Azerbaijan and opened up the country to investment from the United States, Western Europe, Russia, and Turkey and Azerbaijan soon became a pioneer in opening the Caspian Sea to international cooperation and oil and gas explorationâ€. The congressman spoke about the importance of Baku-Tbilisi- Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline and Baku-Tbilisi- Erzurum gas pipeline.
Bernice Johnson of Texas spoke about the role of Heydar Aliyev in the regional and international development of Azerbaijan. He said Azerbaijan became the first former Soviet Republic outside the Baltic States with no foreign troops on its soil. Azerbaijan joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace Program in 1994 and was one of the initiators of GUAM. Azerbaijan has excellent relations with Israel and there is a Jewish community in the country. Bernice Johnson said because of the late President Aliyev’s efforts, today Azerbaijan is a developing democracy with a growing and vibrant economy. There are no longer any doubts regarding the viability of this Republic.