The Senate of the U.S. state of Oklahoma has adopted a resolution dedicated to the 11th anniversary of cooperation between the Oklahoma National Guard and Azerbaijan.
The resolution has been adopted under the U.S.-Azerbaijan strategic partnership and the State Partnership Program.
The resolution, read in the presence of the leaders of Oklahoma National Guard and the delegation of the Azerbaijani embassy in Washington, was adopted unanimously, the Azerbaijani embassy in the U.S. told Trend on April 16.
The resolution was put forward by Senator Tom Ivester and all other senators joined it as co-authors; this is a rare event and shows the significance attached by the Oklahoma Senate to its partnership with Azerbaijan.
The resolution highlights that Azerbaijan has rich traditions of statehood and multiculturalism; it is the first parliamentary republic in the East and is the first country in the Muslim East to give women the right to vote.
Moreover, the resolution stresses that representatives of different ethnic groups and confessions live in peace and harmony in the country.
It is also noted in the resolution that Azerbaijan is a trusted partner of the U.S. and NATO, and this is confirmed by Azerbaijan’s participation in peacekeeping operations in Iraq, the Balkans and Afghanistan, and transportation of 40 percent of goods to Afghanistan through the country’s territory.
Oklahoma National Guard and Azerbaijani armed forces have been successfully cooperating for 11 years within the state’s cooperation program, according to the resolution.
The resolution also included an appeal to the U.S. government regarding the support for U.S.-Azerbaijan strategic partnership and strengthening partnerships ties in political, economic, cultural, military and security areas.
After being adopted, a copy of the resolution was presented to Azerbaijani delegation (for more details on the resolution please visit: http://legiscan.com/OK/drafts/SR68/2014).
The resolution’s presentation was followed by a speech from Oklahoma Air National Guard Commander Brigadier General Gregory Ferguson. He thanked the senators for their support and noted that Azerbaijan is a key strategic partner of the U.S. in the region.
Then, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to the U.S., Elin Suleymanov was invited to make a speech. He also thanked the senators and expressed his confidence that this document will be a basis for developing future relations between the State of Oklahoma and Azerbaijan.
After completion of the speech, a meeting was held between Azerbaijani delegation and the Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman.
Azerbaijani delegation also visited the headquarters of Oklahoma National Guard, where they discussed the future cooperation.
/trend/
