American Jewish Committee Vows To Continue Its Efforts To End U.S. Sanctions On Azerbaijan

American Jewish Committee
Tuesday, 1 December 1998

Ambassador (Ret.) Peter Rosenblatt of the American Jewish Committee has stated that the AJC hopes for success next year in lifting the "discriminatory U.S. legislation against Azerbaijan". Amb. Rosenblatt made his remarks recently at a welcoming dinner for Azerbaijan Jewish leaders.

Amb. Rosenblatt recognized the "remarkably close friendship Azerbaijan has already established with Israel" and expressed the hope that, in the future, bonds will be strengthened among American Jews, the country of Azerbaijan and the Azeri Jewish community.

Amb. Rosenblatt expressed pleasure that "Azeri Jews, for so long isolated, are finally able to reestablish contact with their brethren abroad." He said that it was unfortunate that "the birth of Azerbaijan, like that of so many other modern nations, has been accomplished in the midst of a bloodbath".

Amb. Rosenblatt remarked that the American Jewish community takes great interest in efforts to bring peace to Azerbaijan and Armenia, "neighbors whose security and prosperity are, and will always be, linked by geography and history."

The dinner was hosted by the America Azerbaijan Partnership Foundation in honor of Mr. Ilham Aliyev, First Vice President of the Azerbaijan state oil company, SOCAR. It took place in the State Room of Washington's Renaissance Mayflower Hotel. Attending were Aliyev and several leaders of Azerbaijani Jewish organizations, including the chairmen of the Council of Religious Communities of Mountain Jews of Baku, the Community of Ashkenazi Jews, the Community of Georgian Jews, the Krasnaya Sloboda Jewish Community, and the president of the Jewish Association of Azerbaijan.

For more information, or to contact American Jewish Committee, see their website at: www.ajc.org