U.S. Deputy Assistant secretary of state reaffirms the importance of U.S.-Azerbaijan partnership

Baku/31.05.18/Turan: U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Bridget Brink had an official visit to Baku on May 31. Ms. Brink met with President Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister Novruz Mammadov, Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov, and the Azerbaijani political opposition, reads a press release of the US Embaasy to Azerbaijan.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Brink congratulated President Aliyev and the people of Azerbaijan on the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the world"s first majority-Muslim parliamentary republic. They discussed shared security interests, including on Afghanistan and counterterrorism. She relayed the United States" interest in deepening bilateral trade relations andunderscored the importance of the 25th annual Caspian Oil and Gas Exhibition and Conference and the beginning of gas flows from Shah Deniz II. She recognized the significance of these events to the completion of the Southern Gas Corridor, which will contribute to European energy security.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Brink also raised in her official meetings the importance of respect for fundamental freedoms, including freedom of assembly, respect for the rule of law, and the fight against corruption to Azerbaijan"s business climate and for deepening our bilateral partnership. -0-