U.S. Ambassador and Mrs. Cekuta Recognize International Women’s Day in the Southern Districts of Azerbaijan

 On March 9, U.S. Ambassador and Mrs. Cekuta visited women entrepreneurs in Masalli as part of the U.S. Embassy’s recognition of International Women’s Day.   During their ongoing trip, the Ambassador and Mrs. Cekuta will visit Masalli, Lankaran and Astara to highlight U.S. Government support for women’s empowerment and economic diversification in the southern regions of Azerbaijan.

In Masalli, Ambassador and Mrs. Cekuta visited a Women’s Resource Center (WRC) which promotes female entrepreneurship, and a SYSLAB Youth training center where youth receive training in job skills and networking to promote employment.  Both the WRC and the SYSLAB Center are funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and managed by United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in partnership with the Azerbaijani government. The WRC has helped over 500 women and their families in the Masalli region alone.  In addition, Mrs. Cekuta hosted a roundtable with women from the community to discuss global women’s issues.

The Ambassador will also visit the ASAN Hayat Center, where the Azerbaijani Government provides government services to the citizens of Azerbaijan using modern technology, and where SYSLAB alumni are currently employed.  Ambassador and Mrs. Cekuta also met with Mr. Rafil Huseynov, the Head of the Masalli Executive Committee to discuss activities supported in his region by the United States. 

In Lenkaran, the Ambassador and Mrs. Cekuta will visit Hirkan National Park as part of his “Walk the Parks” initiative to visit all of Azerbaijan’s National Parks during his tenure.  They also plan to visit a local tea plantation to learn about the production of the world famous Azerbaijani tea.

On March 10 in Astara, the Ambassador and Mrs. Cekuta intend to visit the Customs Post and the new rail bridge between Azerbaijan and Iran, which is part of the North-South Transit Corridor.  This rail bridge will make a valuable contribution to Azerbaijan’s growth as a transit trade route, promoting economic diversification.  The Ambassador and Mrs. Cekuta will also meet with students and local members of the Azerbaijan English Teachers’ Association at school number 4 in Lenkaran.  English is an essential tool for continued economic success across Azerbaijan.

Since 1992, the U.S. has provided over $1.3 billion in assistance to Azerbaijan support of IDPs, as well as in healthcare, agriculture, civil society, economic development, women’s entrepreneurship.  —0-