Azernews.Az

BAKU – The United States highly values its strategic cooperation with Azerbaijan, a US congressman said on Thursday after holding talks in Baku.

Bill Shuster, a co-chair of the US House of Representatives taskforce for Azerbaijan, told a news briefing that Washington was satisfied with the country’s contribution to the peacekeeping missions in Iraq and Afghanistan and its efforts to ensure the energy security of Western countries.

Shuster, who headed a five-people-strong delegation of US lawmakers on their one-day visit to Azerbaijan, said the two countries’ interests overlap on most issues, adding that during their meetings the congressmen explored avenues for further boosting partnership with the South Caucasus republic.

He said transparency and strengthening democratic institutions were of utmost importance for his country.

"The U.S. is therefore trying to maintain relations with countries where such institutions operate. But this will take time."

Shuster said that as a co-chair of the congressional taskforce for Azerbaijan, he continues making an effort to achieve cancellation of Section 907, which bans direct US aid to the country.

The infamous Section 907 of the US Freedom Support Act was passed by US Congress in 1992 under a proposal backed by the Armenian lobby. Following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in the U.S., Congress granted the US president powers to suspend Section 907, in a bid to secure Azerbaijan’s support for the combat against international terrorism.

Shuster said that during the congressmen’s meetings with First Vice-Speaker Ziyafat Asgarov and other lawmakers in Baku, the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno Karabakh was among key issues on agenda. He said the U.S. supports a peaceful settlement of the long-standing dispute and the mediating efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group, which is co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France.

According to Shuster, his delegation’s visit aims to increase the Congress’ awareness about Azerbaijan.

The US delegation includes Congressmen Chris Murphy, Sean Duffy, Adam Kinzinger, Cedric Richmond and Jon Runyan.