NEW U.S. AMBASSADOR CANDIDATE VOWS SUPPORT FOR NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLUTION
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Sept 19 2014
19 September 2014, 11:05 (GMT+05:00)
By Sara Rajabova
The candidate nominated for U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan pledged
to support his government’s commitment to settling the long-lasting
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which emerged in 1988 over Armenia’s
territorial claims against Azerbaijan.
“There is no higher priority today for achieving a more secure and
prosperous future for the Caucasus than the peaceful settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” Robert Cekuta made the remark at a
hearing in the United States Senate on September 17, the Committee
for External Relations of the United States Senate’s website reported.
Since a lengthy war in the early 1990s that displaced over one million
Azerbaijanis, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent
of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territory, including
Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions.
Cekuta noted that as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, the U.S.
continues to assist all sides that seek to achieve a peaceful and
lasting negotiated settlement of the conflict based on the UN Charter
and relevant documents and the principles of the Helsinki Final Act.
The Secretary of State John Kerry and Ambassador James Warlick have
made major efforts to facilitate a settlement, he added.
“If confirmed, I will support the Administration’s commitment, at
the highest levels, to achieving this goal,” Cekuta said.
He noted that Azerbaijan is a country with a rich history and has the
potential for a bright and prosperous future, adding that bilateral
relationships between Washington and Baku are important not just
for the two countries, but also for Azerbaijan’s neighbors and the
wider region.
“The U.S. and Azerbaijan stand only to gain from a stable, democratic,
peaceful, and prosperous Azerbaijan strategically linked to the United
States, our European friends, and allies. In the 22 years since
the United States and Azerbaijan established diplomatic relations,
we have worked with Azerbaijan on three equally important areas –
security, energy, and democracy – necessary for the country’s full
integration into the Euro-Atlantic community,” Cekuta said.
He went on to add that the United States has long recognized Azerbaijan
as a stalwart partner on international security.
“We remember that following the attacks of September 11, 2001,
ex-Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev was among the first to extend
a hand of support and offer his country’s close cooperation in our
efforts to combat terrorism,” he said. “That cooperation continues.
American and Azerbaijani troops served together in Kosovo and Iraq”.
Cekuta noted that they serve together now in Afghanistan where
Azerbaijan has shown a sustained commitment to international efforts,
including its role as a transportation route in the Northern
Distribution Network in support of NATO’s operations.
The Azerbaijani peacekeeping contingent in Afghanistan doubled
in 2009. About 90 Azerbaijani servicemen are currently serving in
the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). A company and
then a battalion of peacekeepers were established as part of the
Azerbaijani armed forces in 1997. In the past, Azerbaijan has also
actively supported the NATO’s operations in Kosovo. Azerbaijan is
among the eight partner countries that have confirmed their presence
in Afghanistan after 2014.
Cekutawent on to say that thousands of flights have crossed
Azerbaijan’s airspace en route to Afghanistan, and thousands of
containers have departed Baku in support of the ISAF.
“If confirmed, I will also work to enhance our security cooperation
in numerous other areas, including border security, non-proliferation,
and countering human trafficking,” he said.
Cekuta recalled that the U.S. and Azerbaijan have also enjoyed more
than 20 years of cooperation on energy security.
“The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the progress on the Southern
Corridor for gas represent powerful symbols of Azerbaijan’s commitment
to global energy security – a key element in our efforts to diversify
energy routes and sources for European markets,” he noted.
Cekuta added that if he’s confirmed as an ambassador, he will continue
to work with Azerbaijan to diversify its energy routes and bolster
its critical energy infrastructure protection.
“But, just as we continue our security and energy cooperation, we
must also continue our efforts to work with Azerbaijan on advancing
democratic institutions and processes, and strengthening the rule
of law. Both are essential to ensure long-term stability and help
Azerbaijanis unleash the full potential of their country,” he said.
Cekuta noted that Azerbaijan is the Muslim world’s first democracy,
and Azerbaijani women had the right to vote before women won that
right in the U.S.
He added that constitution and republic fell in 1920, but it is a
tradition which Azerbaijanis can be proud of.
“We recognize that Azerbaijan lives in a very difficult neighborhood
and must maintain its security and stability, which the United States
strongly supports,” he noted. “Azerbaijan is a pivotal player in the
region’s future peace and stability”.
The diplomat stressed that he would do everything in his power to work
with Azerbaijanis to build a strong, vibrant, and modern democracy
and a sustainable and diversified economy that they want and deserve.
“I will work to advance our relationship in ways consistent with our
shared interests and our shared values,” he said.
Cekuta, who was nominated for the post of the U.S. ambassador to
Azerbaijan by President Barack Obama, most recently served as Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Energy, Sanctions, and Commodities in the
State Department’s Bureau for Energy and Business Affairs.
In case his candidacy is approved, he will replace Richard Morningstar
who completed his diplomatic mission late this summer.