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News Center
| May 22, 2008 | Cathy Bassett
Communications Director
410-749-3184
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WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest (R-Maryland-1st) leaves this afternoon to visit four countries overseas with members of the House Democracy Assistance Commission, a bipartisan group of legislators that promotes democracy throughout the world.
The Congressman will visit Afghanistan, Pakistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan with Congressman Adam Schiff (D-California) and Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz (D-Pennsylvania). As members of the House Democracy Assistance Commission, Gilchrest and his colleagues meet with their elected counterparts in emerging democracies to offer their expertise on how our legislative body provides for accountability, transparency, legislative independence, access to information and government oversight.
Their first stop will be Azerbaijan, a country north of Iran on the Caspian Sea. In Baku, the capital, the group will be meeting with officials from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and then meeting with President Aliyev. They will also meet with the Foreign Minister, and members of Parliament.
From there, they travel to Armenia, where they will meet with President Serzh Sargsyan, as well as members of Armenia's Parliament. They will be briefed by the US Ambassador to Armenia and meet with opposition representatives.
They then will travel to Pakistan where they will spend two days meeting members of Parliament and other officials, including new Prime Minister Yousaf Gilani.
While in Afghanistan, the Congressman will get a chance to meet with President Hamid Karzai, members of Parliament and watch Parliament in action. They will meet with members of the military from Maryland, and travel to a nearby province to meet with elected officals there.
"This is an extraordinary opportunity to travel half way around the world to such an important region and help offer our knowledge of how a democracy can work in any culture," Gilchrest said. "We will work hard to make sure that we share what we've learned and exchange ideas about government."
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