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AMERICA, MEET AZERBAIJAN
By Hilary Kramer
Forbes
Nov 7 2012
When the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991, Americans were suddenly
forced to add a host of newly independent countries to their global
awareness. Some countries became a part of our lexicon more quickly
than others (Ukraine and Georgia, for example). But few of these
post-Soviet countries have been as valuable, pound-for-pound, to the
United States in the last 20 years as Azerbaijan, a country that we
all should seek to understand due to the resilience of its economy,
richness of its culture and the relevance of its policies.
In fact, I will learn more for myself next week. On November 14th,
policymakers and cultural influencers in Washington, D.C. will
have the opportunity to learn more about Azerbaijan and the Azeri
people thanks to the efforts of the Azerbaijan America Alliance,
a Washington-based non-profit. The Alliance is hosting a gala dinner
focused on fostering economic, cultural, and diplomatic exchange and
understanding between the American and Azeri peoples.
The gala's attendees will include current and former members of
Congress and White House officials, a Who's Who from D.C.'s political,
economic, and media circles, as well as the typical dramatis personae
from Embassy Row. The event is a compelling draw because Azerbaijan has
flourished both economically and culturally in recent years (Jennifer
Lopez and Rihanna were recently in the capital city of Baku, playing
to crowds of more than 30,000 excited spectators). The gala event is
one of the Alliance's first efforts to export news of Azerbaijan's
success to the United States, where increased cross-cultural dialogue
will be of great benefit to this small but determined powerhouse from
the Caucasus.
I imagine that the gala will be an eye-opener for many of the
Americans in attendance, including myself. There will be no shortage of
authenticity. The cuisine and music will transport us to Azerbaijan,
while the evening's entertainment-including the country's 2012
Eurovision finalist and National Dance Ensemble-is flying in all the
way from Baku for the gala.
Globally, Azerbaijan is a little-known and underappreciated U.S. ally
situated in one of the world's most turbulent regions. Sharing cramped
geographic quarters with Iran, Russia, Georgia, and Armenia is no
easy task, yet Azeris in this Muslim-majority country enjoy one of
the most pro-Western, liberalized societies in the region (consider
that women gained the right to vote in pre-Soviet Azerbaijan in 1919,
narrowly beating out the enactment of the Nineteenth Amendment). The
country is also a strong supporter of Israel, both economically and
diplomatically, and has consistently supported that country and the
U.S. in efforts to combat global terrorism.
The Azeri people also provide a notable cultural counterbalance to
Iran to the south. One might say that Azerbaijan provides an example of
what a free Iran would look like. An Azeri official, commenting on the
recent Western concerts, told the Washington Post in October that "you
could almost feel the Iranians seething...This stuff makes them crazy."
Economically, Azerbaijan is in a unique position. Its abundant
natural resources, in the form of crude oil and natural gas,
position the country as a key energy supplier to Europe. A major
energy boom over the past few decades has allowed for significant
economic transformation and helped the country escape the global
economic downturn that has ensnared so many other countries, both in
the region and elsewhere.
The Azeris have put their substantial wealth to good use, reinvesting
domestically by modernizing the country's infrastructure, developing
a contemporary banking and financial network, and spurring growth in
the telecommunications and automotive sectors-all with room to grow.
Ideally, our relationship with Azerbaijan will be one that continues
to expand both economically and diplomatically in the coming years,
as the country has already proven itself to be a key ally in a region
of tumult.
The November 14th gala clearly aims to put a spotlight on the
synergies that the U.S. and Azerbaijan already share. While I've yet
to visit Azerbaijan myself (though I plan to), I have no doubt that
this event will increase understanding through cultural exchange and
further strengthen our alliance with one of the most interesting and
pro-American countries in the Caucasus region.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/hilarykramer/2012/11/07/america-meet-azerbaijan/
From: A. Papazian
By Hilary Kramer
Forbes
Nov 7 2012
When the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991, Americans were suddenly
forced to add a host of newly independent countries to their global
awareness. Some countries became a part of our lexicon more quickly
than others (Ukraine and Georgia, for example). But few of these
post-Soviet countries have been as valuable, pound-for-pound, to the
United States in the last 20 years as Azerbaijan, a country that we
all should seek to understand due to the resilience of its economy,
richness of its culture and the relevance of its policies.
In fact, I will learn more for myself next week. On November 14th,
policymakers and cultural influencers in Washington, D.C. will
have the opportunity to learn more about Azerbaijan and the Azeri
people thanks to the efforts of the Azerbaijan America Alliance,
a Washington-based non-profit. The Alliance is hosting a gala dinner
focused on fostering economic, cultural, and diplomatic exchange and
understanding between the American and Azeri peoples.
The gala's attendees will include current and former members of
Congress and White House officials, a Who's Who from D.C.'s political,
economic, and media circles, as well as the typical dramatis personae
from Embassy Row. The event is a compelling draw because Azerbaijan has
flourished both economically and culturally in recent years (Jennifer
Lopez and Rihanna were recently in the capital city of Baku, playing
to crowds of more than 30,000 excited spectators). The gala event is
one of the Alliance's first efforts to export news of Azerbaijan's
success to the United States, where increased cross-cultural dialogue
will be of great benefit to this small but determined powerhouse from
the Caucasus.
I imagine that the gala will be an eye-opener for many of the
Americans in attendance, including myself. There will be no shortage of
authenticity. The cuisine and music will transport us to Azerbaijan,
while the evening's entertainment-including the country's 2012
Eurovision finalist and National Dance Ensemble-is flying in all the
way from Baku for the gala.
Globally, Azerbaijan is a little-known and underappreciated U.S. ally
situated in one of the world's most turbulent regions. Sharing cramped
geographic quarters with Iran, Russia, Georgia, and Armenia is no
easy task, yet Azeris in this Muslim-majority country enjoy one of
the most pro-Western, liberalized societies in the region (consider
that women gained the right to vote in pre-Soviet Azerbaijan in 1919,
narrowly beating out the enactment of the Nineteenth Amendment). The
country is also a strong supporter of Israel, both economically and
diplomatically, and has consistently supported that country and the
U.S. in efforts to combat global terrorism.
The Azeri people also provide a notable cultural counterbalance to
Iran to the south. One might say that Azerbaijan provides an example of
what a free Iran would look like. An Azeri official, commenting on the
recent Western concerts, told the Washington Post in October that "you
could almost feel the Iranians seething...This stuff makes them crazy."
Economically, Azerbaijan is in a unique position. Its abundant
natural resources, in the form of crude oil and natural gas,
position the country as a key energy supplier to Europe. A major
energy boom over the past few decades has allowed for significant
economic transformation and helped the country escape the global
economic downturn that has ensnared so many other countries, both in
the region and elsewhere.
The Azeris have put their substantial wealth to good use, reinvesting
domestically by modernizing the country's infrastructure, developing
a contemporary banking and financial network, and spurring growth in
the telecommunications and automotive sectors-all with room to grow.
Ideally, our relationship with Azerbaijan will be one that continues
to expand both economically and diplomatically in the coming years,
as the country has already proven itself to be a key ally in a region
of tumult.
The November 14th gala clearly aims to put a spotlight on the
synergies that the U.S. and Azerbaijan already share. While I've yet
to visit Azerbaijan myself (though I plan to), I have no doubt that
this event will increase understanding through cultural exchange and
further strengthen our alliance with one of the most interesting and
pro-American countries in the Caucasus region.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/hilarykramer/2012/11/07/america-meet-azerbaijan/
From: A. Papazian