Vice President Richard B. Cheney visited Baku, Azerbaijan September 3-4, the first stop on a trip that included Georgia, Ukraine and Italy. Vice President Cheney is the most senior U.S. official to visit Azerbaijan since it became independent. The Vice President’s visit was planned for some time in the context of the strong relationship and many interests the United States shares with this key partner in a volatile and strategic region. The visit underscored our mutual commitment to strengthen relations further in support of Azerbaijan’s and the region’s independence, stability, security and peaceful and prosperous development.

The United States deeply appreciates the extraordinarily warm reception President Ilham Aliyev and the people of Azerbaijan extended to the Vice President. In their meetings and over a dinner that reflected the best of Azerbaijan’s reknowned hospitality, the Vice President and President Aliyev discussed the full range of critical issues facing the region today. The Vice President and President Aliyev reaffirmed the importance of continuing our strong cooperation to advance strategic energy projects and support global energy security, to accelerate efforts to peacefully resolve regional conflicts and spur regional development, and to ensure the future of a Europe whole, free and at peace. We look forward to working in the weeks and months ahead to build on this foundation and ensure that Azerbaijan can fulfill its great potential as a sovereign, independent state, emerging regional leader, and strong partner of the United States.

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