On May 28-29, 2013, Baku hosted the “Azerbaijan-US: Vision for Future” convention co-organized by the Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasians and the American Friends of Azerbaijan (AFAZ).

The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev delivered the opening remarks to the audience.

Among the guests present were a special delegation consisting of 11 Members of the United State’s Congress and 200+ legislators from 42 different States. The U.S-Azerbaijani Convention was huge success overall with a record of 300+ high level officials attending.

In attendance from Houston were former Mayor Bill White of Houston,  Sheila Jackson Lee, Rubin Hinojosa, Ted Poe and Steve Stockman, all members of the Texas delegation to the United States Congress, and Houston City Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Edward Gonzalez, Matthew Bryza, Former US Ambassador to the Republic of Azerbaijan and current US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard Morningstar.

Additional guests included former Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico, Congressman Gregory Meeks of New York, Congresswoman Michelle Grisham of New Mexico, Congressman Jim Bridenstine of Oklahoma, and Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana.

During this conference the delegates were treated to a private audience with President Aliyev, Lt. General Elchin I. Guliyev, Chief of the Azerbaijan’s Border Security, and Shahmar Movsumov, Executive Director of the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Elmar Mammadyarov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan where they discussed matters of importance to the US – Azerbaijan relationship.  They later visited the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy.

The US delegation also met with delegates of the Mili Majlis which included Samad Seyidov, Ziyafat Asgarov, Mukhtar Babayev, Sevinj Fataliyeva, Asim Mollazade, and Sahiba Gafarova.

To view another article, please visit: http://en.trend.az/news/politics/2155430.html

To view additional pictures of the convention, please visit:  http://s1292.photobucket.com/user/houstonbaku/slideshow/2013%20US%20-%20Azerbaijan%20Convention