29-08-03 Colonel General Safar Abiyev, Defence Minister of Azerbaijan, received a US delegation led by Curt Weldon, Deputy Chairman of the US Congress Armed Forces Committee. Updating the defence minister on the Committee, Weldon said the Baku visit of the congressmen was the continuation of their tour of Russia, North Korea and other countries.
"We give a great importance to Baku visit. The way the Azerbaijani Armed Forces protect the country is astonishing," Weldon stressed.

Weldon went on to say that they had come to Baku to reach agreement on implementation of long-term concrete programs as part of the co-operation with the parliament of Azerbaijan that has taken an active part in anti-terror coalition, as well as establish official relations between the two countries' legislative bodies.
"We want Azerbaijan to be our key ally in the region so that we could hold regular consultations," the US Congressman underlined.
The Defence Minister, in turn, said Azerbaijan was one of the two former USSR countries which encountered terrorism and thousands of people fell martyrs and other thousands of people became disabled, as well as 20 % of Azerbaijan's territory was occupied as a result of the terror actions perpetrated by the invader Armenia.

Abiyev noted that Azerbaijan was currently being subjected to pressures, as Armenia was armed with necessary weapons by its supporters. "However, it doesn't scare Azerbaijan and all the lands will be liberated from the Armenian occupation," Abiyem emphasized.
"One of the problems that the Azerbaijani government is concerned over is that the international community has not yet recognized Armenia as an aggressive state. It is surprising that the United States annually renders huge assistance to the invader Armenia but Azerbaijan receives from the United States less than half of the aid intended for Armenia," the defence minister said.

Abiyev noted that only after the temporary repeal of 907 Section to Freedom Support Act the US-Azerbaijani relations had become warmer and military co-operation strengthened. The Defence Minister also underscored that the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Upper Qarabag was the major threat to the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main export oil pipeline, which is under construction, and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, the construction of which is expected to launch soon.
Further Abiyev and the Congressmen exchanged views on the current military-political situation in the South Caucasus region and the Azerbaijan-NATO relations.

Thanking the defence minister for comprehensive information, Weldon said: "The establishment of official relations between the US Congress and Azerbaijani parliament will allow bringing the realities of Azerbaijan into the notice of Americans. The United States will get more information of Azerbaijan and realize that how necessary is protection of the country's independence. We have paid a visit to Baku just for this purpose," the Congressman stressed.
The Defence Ministry told that Ziyafat Asgarov,Vice-Speaker, and Nancy McEldowney, the US charge d'affaires in Azerbaijan were also attending the meeting.