Baku,Azerbaijan-On September 16, 2009, Ambassador Richard Armitage, former Deputy Secretary of State (2001-2005), delivered a key note presentation on the topic of “Global Challenges and the Role of the United States in the System of International Relations in the 21st century” at the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy. Mr. Armitage, currently serving on the Board of Directors of the ADA Foundation, traveled to Azerbaijan at the invitation of the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy in order to commemorate the launch of the MA Program in Diplomacy and International Affairs (MADIA). He met the inaugural class of MADIA and answered the questions from both Azerbaijani as well as international students.

In his lecture, Mr. Armitage addressed broad range of issues, including the ongoing war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the global financial crisis and its impact on the role of US in the global financial system, the future of EU-US relations, China-US relations, the security situation in Caucasus and the evolution of US-Azerbaijan relations. Mr. Armitage highly evaluated the ongoing reforms in Azerbaijan and investments made into the human capital development in the country, as in the case of the opening of the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy.

Hafiz Pashayev, Rector of the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy and Deputy Foreign Minister, expressed his appreciation for the role that Mr. Armitage played in the early 1990s in his capacity as the Coordinator of US Assistance to former Soviet Republics: “Mr. Armitage was one of the first persons in the political establishment of the US who understood the importance of the Caspian region and stood for the principles of humanitarianism, by sending aid to the refugees and IDPs in Azerbaijan. He took this initiative despite the pressures from the ethnic lobbies, so people of Azerbaijan will never forget that”.

MA class at ADA consists of 22 students, 10 of which are international students from Pakistan, Russia, Czech Republic, Mexico and Kenya. More than 300 applicants applied to ADA in the first year of admissions.