Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BAKU106
2009-02-09 13:44:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Baku
Cable title:  

FM MAMMADYAROV LETTER TO SECRETARY CLINTON

Tags:  PGOV PINR PREL KDEM PHUM AJ 
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DE RUEHKB #0106/01 0401344
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 091344Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY BAKU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0737
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHMZ/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
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RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAKU 000106 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

EUR FOR MATT BRYZA; DRL FOR KAREN STEWART

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL KDEM PHUM AJ
SUBJECT: FM MAMMADYAROV LETTER TO SECRETARY CLINTON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAKU 000106

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

EUR FOR MATT BRYZA; DRL FOR KAREN STEWART

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL KDEM PHUM AJ
SUBJECT: FM MAMMADYAROV LETTER TO SECRETARY CLINTON


1. (SBU) Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov passed
the following letter to Ambassador Derse February 4 for
transmittal to Secretary Clinton. The letter was faxed
February 5 to EUR/CARC.

Begin Text:

Minister of Foreign Affairs
of the Republic of Azerbaijan

February 3, 2009

Her Excellency Mrs. Hillary Clinton
State Secretary of the United States of America

Dear Madam Secretary,

I have the honor to express my sincere congratulations and
warmest wishes on the occasion of your appointment to the
position of State Secretary of the United States of America.

I am confident that your experience will contribute to the
development of a mutually advantageous relationship between
our nations, as well as cooperation between foreign policy
departments of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the United
States both on bilateral levels and within international
organizations.

I am pleased to underline with great satisfaction the level
of the strategic partnership existing between our two
countries. Today we enjoy a shared vision of global
security, Euro-Atlantic values and energy initiatives. We
contribute to the international antiterrorism operations and
our troops have served shoulder-to-shoulder within
international stabilization efforts in Afghanistan, Kosovo
and Iraq. With our joint efforts and fruitful cooperation in
the energy field we have succeeded in the development of
Caspian energy resources and their delivery to the world
markets through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil and
Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipelines that are critical for
European and global energy security.

The efforts of the United States as a co-chair of the OSCE
Minsk Group are of particular importance for a peaceful and
fair resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijan Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, as a result of which almost 20 percent of
Azerbaijan's territory is under occupation by Armenia and
around 1 million Azerbaijanis have been ethnically cleansed
from their homes. We believe that the United States will do
its utmost for the lasting and durable resolution of this
conflict, a major threat to peace and stability in the South
Caucasus region, based on the relevant UN Security Council
and General Assembly resolutions and OSCE decisions. We are
ready to continue our work with the U.S. for the settlement
of this conflict in accordance with the norms and principles
of international law within the sovereignty, territorial
integrity and inviolability of internationally recognized
borders of Azerbaijan.

We are firmly convinced that the conflict resolution will
facilitate the strengthening of democracy, rule of law, human
rights, civil society and market economy in all South
Caucasus countries.

Taking this opportunity I have the honor to extend an
invitation to you to pay an official visit to the Republic of
Azerbaijan at any convenient time for you.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest
consideration and esteem.

Sincerely,

/s/

Elmar Mammadyarov

End Text.


2. (SBU) Comment: The Foreign Minister's letter refers to
cooperation on security, including anti-terrorism and
Afghanistan, and energy, as expected. The Foreign Minister
also predictably raises the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the
Minsk Group process, emphasizing as usual settlement with

BAKU 00000106 002 OF 002


respect to Azerbaijan,s "territorial integrity." Of
interest is the Foreign Minister's reference to continuing
work on democracy and human rights, which he suggests will
move forward after conflict resolution.
DERSE