Azerbaijan remains one of the most significant partners of the United States among CIS countries

How would you describe relations between Azerbaijan and the United States?

In my opinion, President of the United States Barak Obama and the US State Secretary Hillary Clinton in their congratulation letters addressed to the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the whole people of Azerbaijan on occasion of the Republic Day have given a precise assessment of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and the United States. The letters say that the United States highly value partnership with Azerbaijan based on mutual interest and respect.

In her congratulation letter Hillary Clinton highly values successful cooperation between Baku and Washington in the field of regional security and stability securing and emphasizes the United States` disposition to develop partner relationship between two countries.

A recent period was marked by a wide range of visits and meetings. Thus, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Tina Kaidanow visited Baku and was received by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and other top officials.

The delegation of the US Congress led by the Republican Congressman Bill Shuster, co-chairman of the US House of Representatives` working group on Azerbaijan and US Congressman Representative Chris Murphy visited Azerbaijan during the same period. Both were received by the President Ilham Aliyev and top officials of the country.

The sides discussed a wide range of issues including the current status of relations between two countries and cooperation in the field of regional security and energy. Congressmen highly valued contribution of Azerbaijan into the peacemaking missions to Afghanistan.

Minister of communication and information technologies of Azerbaijan Ali Abbasov visited the United States on May 18-27. After the successful talks in Washington, the minister suggested making a business trip to the western coast of the United States. During this trip Azerbaijan signed software legalization agreement with Microsoft. This agreement will help ensure that all government offices covered by the agreement will run legally licensed software, signaling a new commitment to reduce software piracy throughout the country.

A successful tour of the Azerbaijan musicians to the United States has just been completed. Azerbaijan culture was represented in Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington at the highest level. A tour was crowned by a solemn concert at Ronald Reagan Center in Washington.

A highly topical programme of visits has been developed for June. Azerbaijan minister of foreign affairs Elmar Mammadyarov will visit Washington early in June. As part of the visit Mammadyarov will meet the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other US top officials. Also Elmar Mammadyarov is expected to address the Atlantic Council of the United States and meet expert community.

What can you say about Azerbaijan - United States trade and economic ties?

Azerbaijan remains one of the most significant trade partners for the United States among CIS countries. In 2010 turnover between two countries made up $2.3 billion with Azerbaijan registering positive trade balance.

Our bilateral trade and economic partnership with the United States is developing successfully and encompasses new areas including high technology realm. In this context I would like to outline several projects of strategic importance. Thus, Azerbaijan signed a contract worth $1 billion with Boeing making an order for famous Dreamliner – Boeing 787.

Another example is launching of Azerspace, the first Azerbaijan national satellite. Azerbaijan will be the 11th country of the world to have its own satellite. Built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, it is to be launched into orbit next year.

Besides, 12% assets of Azerbaijan`s State Oil Fund, i.e. about three billion dollars will be placed on the US securities market. It says about variety of our economic and financial interaction.

Americans are pragmatic. They don't make something free. First of all, it is direct incomes. But there are other moments we should underline. The two above-mentioned contracts with Azerbaijan provide 12.5 thousands job places in USA that is very actual at the time of high unemployment. President Obama's administration attaches great importance to reduction of level of unemployment.

Do you think everybody in America support these projects? The mass media say Armenian lobby in USA hysterically stands against Azerbaijani satellite. Such hysterics was also gone into the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline. There were many allegations then that Azerbaijan has no oil, the nature is destroyed and so on. BTC was built, put into commission, successfully operates and daily supplies one million barrels of oil to the western markets.

On the whole, Armenian lobby is strong, well-organized and financially stable. But the time runs against them and despite their destructive activity, Azerbaijan strongly develops, modernizes and confidentially moves forward. Undoubtedly, US Armenian lobbyist organizations dislike it. But it is impossible to stop the course of history. As popular Eastern proverb says: the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on.

Please, tell about the events held in Ronald Reagan Center in Washington on the occasion of Azerbaijan.

On the occasion of the 88th birthday of national leader Heydar Aliyev, embassy of Azerbaijan organized a photo exhibition dedicated to historical visits of Heydar Aliyev to Washington during the presidency of Clinton and George W. Bush in Four Seasons hotel in Washington on May 10. The guests watched documentary of Discovery Science TV channel entitled “Build it Bigger: Azerbaijan`s Amazing Transformation”. The film is dedicated to two grandiose samples of modern architecture, which are currently built in Baku – Heydar Aliyev center and Flame Towers. It was the first official presentation of the film in USA. Daniel Forster, film director, popular TV host and producer of Discovery Channel kindly accepted our invitation to participate in the event. In his speech he praised rapid development of Azerbaijan and impressive reforms taking place in the country. With Discover Science permission, there were made the copies of the film and presented to the guests.

I'd like to say Daniel Forster returned with big love from Azerbaijan. In nine days he again arrived in Washington by our invitation to participate in a solemn ceremony on the occasion of the Republic Day in Ronald Reagan center located between the White House and the Capitol. The numerous guests, top-ranking representatives of US administration, Department of State, Pentagon, members of the US Congress and diplomatic corps, representatives of the universities, cultural centers as well as members of Azerbaijani community in USA were delighted with brilliant performance of Azerbaijan State Dance Ensemble and jazz group "Emil Afrasiyab and his friends".

How Americans reacted to Azerbaijani duo`s victory over Eurovision?

First of all, we`d like to express our mood. We were overwhelmed by our victory. It was half past six in Washington. During announcement of vote results, we absorbed our attention to computers and observed how our duo approaches to the victory. The next day we disseminated the Embassy`s press release entitled "Azerbaijan conquers Europe". About 171 American mass media, including 142 TV Companies from 50 states of America, including ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and others published our press release.

A victory of Eldar and Nigar aroused great interest to our country. Some mass media said during the first days after the contest, more than seven million people searched information about Azerbaijan via the Internet.

The Embassy received a great number of congratulatory letters and wishes from the colleagues, partners, friends of Azerbaijan, top-ranking officials of the Department of State, Pentagon and other state institutions of the USA. Everybody shares our pride and joy that Baku will become singing and youth capital of Europe in May 2012.


/AzerTAc/