Chris Wright: “I stand in opposition to the amendment offered by Mr. Sherman that conditions defense transfers to Azerbaijan.…”

“I stand in opposition to the amendment offered by Mr. Sherman that conditions defense transfers to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan actively contributes to international security efforts. We see their forces working alongside coalition forces in countering terrorism in Afghanistan, in addition to contributing a logistics supply route vital to U.S. and coalition forces. Azerbaijan lies in a compromising position between two hostile forces: Russia and Iran. Our bilateral relationship and the incredible amount of support the Azeris have provided to U.S. missions in Afghanistan were strong indicators of how our partnership has grown since Azerbaijan first gained its independence in 1991. We must not limit our ability to provide reciprocal support to our friend and partner in a tumultuous region. Putin's history of utilizing military force against its neighbors, such as Ukraine and Georgia, forebodes his willingness to use the same methods against others that counter him. The United States Department of State is responsible for the review of sales and transfers of defense articles and services. They exercise this responsibility through an interagency process that assesses each possible arms transfer on a case-by-case basis. Mr. Sherman's amendment unnecessarily singles out Azerbaijan by placing an additional certification requirement on the State Department's armed sales review process.…”