Bud Shuster: “I thank the Speaker. Today, I rise to honor the distinguished service of my good friend, His Excellency Yashar Aliyev…”

“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. {time} 1400 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 counterterrorism and nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction.…”