PRESIDENT OBAMA: U.S. RECOGNIZES AZERBAIJAN'S IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

In a letter addressed to the President of Azerbaijan, U.S. President Barak Obama praised Azerbaijan for sending military personnel to serve in Afghanistan and opening its land and airspace to help resupply U.S. and NATO forces there

“Today, Azeri personnel serve with distinction in Afghanistan, and your decision to open Azerbaijan's roads, rails, and airspace to facilitate the resupply of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has further strengthened your county's stature as a steadfast security partner,” President Obama wrote.

Commending “Azerbaijan's important contributions to regional and international security”, President Obama expressed his hope that the relationship between the two countries would be broadened and deepened in the months and years ahead.

“Azerbaijan's leadership in the development of a Southern Corridor for energy has also increased regional prosperity, and enhances global energy security,” President Obama wrote.

Referring to the visit by U.S. Secretary of Defense to Azerbaijan as well as “future high level visits”, President Obama stressed his confidence that they would give the opportunity “to advance our bilateral dialogue and explore opportunities to further our cooperation in the interest of regional security, democracy, and prosperity.”

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SECRETARY OF DEFENSE VISITS AZERBAIJAN

On June 6-7, 2010, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates paid an official visit to Azerbaijan

During the visit Secretary Gates was received by President Ilham Aliyev, and met with Minister of Defense Col. Gen. Safar Abiyev.

Issues of military cooperation between the two countries were discussed in the meetings.

In an interview to U.S. and foreign journalists, Secretary Gates called Azerbaijan an important partner in the coalition’s efforts in Afghanistan.

“Azerbaijan plays an important part in Afghanistan, not only in terms of the troops it has there – and also a civilian presence – but through ground transportation and allowing over flights,” Gates said, “so the visit was to express appreciation for that.”

“I would say,” Gates said, “it was a very positive visit, and I think it set the stage for further expansion of the relationship. We will have a bilateral defense consultation next month, where I think a lot of the things that we discussed will be put on the table and fleshed out.”

According to the data announced by the U.S. Department of Defense on the eve of the visit, about 25 percent of the coalition’s supplies bound for Afghanistan pass through Azerbaijan. Since 2001, tens of thousands of flights for the coalition’s efforts in Afghanistan have passed through Azerbaijan’s airspace, and in 2009 alone, about 100,000 troops have flown through Azerbaijan en route to Afghanistan.

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AZERBAIJAN SIGNS GROUNDBREAKING GAS DEALS WITH TURKEY

On June 7, Azerbaijan and Turkey signed memoranda of understanding (MoU) on natural gas supplies from Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz field in the Caspian Sea

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan oversaw the signing of the deals in Istanbul between the two countries’ energy ministers, as well as oil-gas companies SOCAR (Azerbaijan) and BOTAS (Turkey).

Covering the price and quantity of natural gas from the Shah Deniz II project to be sold to Turkey as well as terms of its transportation to European markets via Turkish territory, the long-awaited deals are expected to make a significant contribution to the energy security of Europe in the foreseeable future.

Speaking to journalists, Turkey’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz said that "Azerbaijani gas is a very important source in meeting the needs of Turkey and European countries in the coming period in terms of energy security." “The agreement will pave the way for securing supplies to the European Union's flagship Nabucco gas pipeline project”, he added. Minister of Industry and Energy of Azerbaijan Natig Aliyev described the accords as "historic."

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