Written Testimony of Ms. Tomris Azeri, President of the Azerbaijan Society of America, as submitted to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations:

Thank you very much for the opportunity to address you. I am the President of the Azerbaijan Society of America, the oldest pan-Azerbaijani grassroots organization in the United States representing Azerbaijani-Americans. Founded in 1957, it is the first organization in the world to represent Azerbaijanis outside of their homeland. Today, the ASA continues to be an organization that is committed to serving as a bridge between Azerbaijan and the United States.

Support of American Policy

Both prior to and following the tragedy of 9/11, Azerbaijani-Americans have been strong supporters of the fight against terrorism. We applaud the successful policy of the U.S. Administration in bringing together America's allies around the world to help eradicate the threat of terror. One of these indispensable allies has been the Republic of Azerbaijan, a secular pro-western nation with a majority Muslim population.

As an Azerbaijani-American, I am proud to say that Azerbaijan was among the first to fully, unequivocally, and unconditionally support America's anti-terrorist campaign, acting immediately in the wake of the tragedy to ensure the safety of Americans and U.S. installations in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan's support is not limited to words, but includes important deeds, such as detaining and extraditing suspects with links to terrorist cells who transit through its territory.

As one of the original members of the "coalition of the willing," Azerbaijan deployed peacekeeping troops to Kosovo and Afganistan. Azerbaijan also took the unprecedented step, among Muslim nations, to send troops to Iraq. Azerbaijan's support, its concrete actions, its close cooperation with American law-enforcement, as well as its long-standing pro-western policies and principled position on preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, has won well-deserved recognition and appreciation from the US Government. This recognition as been repeatedly voiced by President Bush and many other members of his administration.

Azerbaijan joined the U.S. and Kazakhstan to form the Caspian Guard. This alliance integrates several initiatives within the region, namely airspace surveillance and control systems, reaction and response forces, and border security. This allows for more targeted monitoring and preemptive efforts against WMD proliferation, terrorism, smuggling, while also protecting energy development and transportation in the Caspian.

Many among the Azerbaijani-American community are descendants of people who, in 1918, founded the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the first in the Muslim world. Although the Republic was destroyed two years later by forces of Russian Bolshevism, that Republic laid the foundations of independent statehood and civil society that is found in today's Azerbaijan. This is why the continued strengthening of Azerbaijan's independence, its security in the volatile region, and the prosperity of its people are so important to us. We support the growing and mutually beneficial U.S.- Azerbaijani partnership in security matters as well as the joint energy projects which are already contributing to diversification of America's energy sources.

Azerbaijan's Regional Cooperation and Multi-National Openness

Azerbaijan has proven to be a most welcoming place for American companies. Azerbaijan has opened its doors to the world. Unlike many post-Soviet states, Azerbaijan has not become xenophobic, but has warmly welcomed people of different nationalities on its soil. Today, thousands of Americans call Azerbaijan their home.

Established frameworks for strategic cooperation include GUUAM and NATO's Partnership for Peace Program. Azerbaijan works with the U.S., both bilaterally and multilaterally, through GUUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova ) to prevent illegal trafficking and to secure borders. In existence since 1996, GUUAM has strengthened the independence and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, as well as enhanced regional economic cooperation. Azerbaijan joined NATO's Partnership for Peace Program in 1994, thereby allowing the nation to integrate further into the Euro-Atlantic security architecture and further solidify U.S.- Azerbaijan military to military cooperation.

Armenia's Agression Against Azerbaijan

In my meetings with Azerbaijanis, I, as an American, have always been asked why do we maintain double standards towards Azerbaijan. The clearest example of such double standards since 1992 has been section 907 of the Freedom Support Act. Azerbaijani-Americans welcomed the waiver of this unjust and unfair law, but we need to do more, it needs to be repealed. And it needs to be repealed not for the sake of Azerbaijan, but also for advancing America s interests in the region.

Mr. Chairman and Member of the Subcommittee, we in America share the pain of the people of Azerbaijan, who have, for the last 15 years, suffered greatly as a result of Armenia's aggression. With the assistance of the armed forces of Armenia and with more than $1 billion in illegal arms shipments from Russia, the Armenians captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions.

The result has been more than 30,000 people dead on both sides and about 1 million Azerbaijani refugees and displaced persons. Additionally, Armenia still illegally occupies 20 percent of the territory of Azerbaijan. A cease-fire was established in 1994. This unresolved conflict impacts not only the bilateral Azerbaijan-Armenia relations, but also the efforts to establish security and stability arrangements within the South Caucasus region in general. Armenia has Russian military bases on its territory and excellent military and security cooperation with both Moscow and Tehran. On the other hand, Azerbaijan continues to work together with is neighbors and our allies, Georgia and Turkey, as well as with its friend Israel, to promote stability in the South Caucasus.

We certainly welcome and appreciate the Administration s past assistance as well as current FY 2006 request for assistance for Azerbaijan. For FY 2006 the Administration request within the Economic Support Fund (ESF) is $35 million; for Foreign Military Financing (FMF) it is $6 million; and for International Military Education and Training (IMET) it is $750 thousand. Both the ESF and FMF requests are down $3 million than agreed upon in Conference last year for FY 2005. I raise my concern here, because the current US assistance does not accurately reflects the level of relationship and opportunity offered by Azerbaijan to the United States.

Mr. Chairman, I urge you to continue American support for the one million members of the displaced communities in Azerbaijan, whose lives have been destroyed by Armenia s aggression. We need to help Azerbaijan, a vital, loyal and strategic ally in the Caspian region, to defend its borders against the open threats from Iran and the subversive ones from Russia. Azerbaijan has proven that it s strong independence in the best interest of the United States.
In our turn, the Azerbaijani-American community stands ready to do its best in promoting America's ties with Azerbaijan. Thank you.

/APA/