OREANDA-NEWS. “US-Azerbaijan: Vision for Future” Forum continued on April 30. Speaking at the session titled “US - Azerbaijan Strategic Partnership and Cooperation in the Caspian Basin” session, Azerbaijani ambassador to the US Elin Suleymanov noted that the cultural diversity was the main feature peculiar to Azerbaijan, linking the two countries to each other.
The congressmen noticed attention to the strategic relations between the US and Azerbaijan on their reports. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the US Representative from Florida, noted that Azerbaijan had been a reliable partner of the USA in combating terrorism for over 20 years. Henry Cuellar, the U.S Representative from Texas, pointed out Azerbaijan’s key role in the EU’s efforts to diversify routes of supplying gas to Europe. His colleagues Michael Doyle, the US Representative from Pennsylvania, and Paul Cook, the US Representative from California, touched upon the Azerbaijan-US partnership. Grace Meng, the Member of the US House of Representatives from New York, said the Azerbaijani people had rich cultural values. Bill Shuster, the Co-Chair of the working group of the US House of Representatives for Azerbaijan, Representative from Pennsylvania, called on the US authorities to cancel the Section 907 of the United States Freedom Support Act which is unjust. Mike Turner, the Member of the US House of Representatives from Ohio, thanked the Azerbaijani Government for supporting the US Charlie Dent, the Member of the US House of Representatives from Pennsylvania, emphasized Azerbaijan’s role in ensuring stability in the South Caucasus, noting the country as the stronghold of security in the region.

Afterwards, “Azerbaijan: Trusted Friend at the Critical Global Crossroads'' session was moderated by George Friedman, Chairman and CEO of Stratfor Analytic Centre. The session heard reports by Richard Weitz, Director and Senior Fellow of the Centre for Political-Military Analysis at Hudson Institute, Samad Seyidov, Azerbaijani MP and Chairman of the Committee for International Relations and Interparliamentary Ties, Richard Morningstar, the US ambassador to Azerbaijan, Ariel Cohen, Senior Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, Duncan McNabb, General (Ret.), Commander of US Transportation Command (Scott Air Force Base at Illinois), Temuri Yakobashvili, Senior Transatlantic Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the US, and Evelyn Farkas, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence to Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia. Emphasizing the importance of Azerbaijan’s role in the region, Richard Weitz described the country as the initiator of the inter-regional energy and security projects. The Congressman said Azerbaijan was the first country to allow US planes use its air space to provide medical aid to American soldiers in Afghanistan. In his report Samad Seyidov noted that Azerbaijan was a trusted, fruitful, true, honest and faithful friend, which supported the US Ambassador Morningstar praised the bilateral ties between the two countries as important. He touched upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, calling on Baku and Yerevan to make concrete steps for settling up the dispute. Evelyn Farkas pointed out the significance of strengthening Azerbaijan-US ties in building peace, ensuring security of borders and in the sea, and noted Azerbaijan’s contribution to the Northern Distribution Network (NDN). Duncan McNabb hailed Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s efforts in the establishment of the South route of the Network. Ariel Cohen highlighted Azerbaijan’s geopolitical role for the US Temuri Yakobashvili noted Azerbaijan was loyal to friends and a trusted partner. Congressman Charlie Dent was the keynote speaker at the session. He thanked Azerbaijan for supporting the US at the UN General Assembly.