Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Gregory Meeks wished Azerbaijan success in the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest. The congressman said the international contest in Baku is an opportunity for a wider audience to become acquainted with Azerbaijan. 
U.S. congressman Gregory Meeks was one of the many speakers, representing the Congress at a two-day conference devoted to 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and the United States in Washington.
Addressing the conference Meeks said, "There has to be a continued dialogue engagement for the next 20-30-40-50 years. One of the most serious cases, we face is a strong and knowledgeable U.S. ambassador in Baku. In addition, to prevent the existence of nuclear weapons in the region we need to develop our cooperation. The U.S. President has repeatedly said that the existence of nuclear weapons in the region is unacceptable. I express my gratitude to the organizers of a conference, American and Eurasian Council «Turquoise», U.S. Azeris Network (USAN), the Institute «Caspian Strategy» and the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. I can see that the conference is attended by many of my colleagues in the Congress. This indicates that we are always thinking about you. Regardless of political affiliation, the U.S. Congress members know and support the important role of Azerbaijan in the region. In order to live in a more stable world, our relations in the region should strengthen. I hope that in the framework of inter-parliamentary ties we should expand our dialogue with Azerbaijani colleagues and increase mutual visits of delegations. During these visits we gain new knowledge and new friends. We have planned these visits.
In conclusion, I wish your country success in hosting the Eurovision Song Contest "Eurovision-2012". I know that it will be a good opportunity to showcase the talents of not only Azerbaijan, but also throughout Europe. We also look forward meeting new talents during the competition. In general, the contest in Baku is an opportunity for a wider audience to get acquainted with Azerbaijan. The more we know about you, the more we talk about the importance of our relations with your country with our voters.
Once again thank you for the invitation to the conference. As a member of the Subcommittee on Europe and Eurasia of the U.S. Congress, I hope, we will be working and talking closely and make a visit to the region soon."

AzerTAc