Aderholt made the remarks at the meeting of the House of Representatives of the US Congress on June 3, 2019, AzVision.az reports on June 5.

On May 28, 1918, the National Assembly of Azerbaijan adopted the Declaration of Independence and thus laid the foundation of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the first secular parliamentary democracy in the Muslim world, the statement reads.

The Bolsheviks occupied the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1920 and established Soviet power. Azerbaijan was forcibly joined the Soviet Union and it suffered for many decades under the yoke of the Soviet power, the statement says.

According to the statement, as a result of the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Republic of Azerbaijan regained its independence on August 30, 1991. The US recognized Azerbaijan’s independence on December 25, 1991 and established official diplomatic relations with the country on February 19, 1992.

Aderholt also stressed that Azerbaijan became a powerful and reliable partner of the US after the collapse of the communist empire. He emphasized that today the Republic of Azerbaijan is an important partner of the US and plays a significant role in the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Azerbaijan was one of the first countries which rendered disinterested assistance to the US after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Azerbaijan has friendly and partnership relations with Israel which is a close ally of the US, the congressman said.

Azerbaijan, within the Partnership for Peace program, has been supporting NATO peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan since 2002 and the Azerbaijani armed forces are serving to assist the mission in Afghanistan, the statement reads.

As noted, during the 101st anniversary of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the US expresses gratitude to Azerbaijan for its strategic and long-term friendship relations.

Moreover, the US wants these close friendship relations to further strengthen in the following years, Aderholt said.

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