Azerbaijan was “punished” by the United States through the continued enforcement of the Section 907 amendment for restoring its sovereignty in 2023.
This statement was made by Azerbaijan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jeyhun Bayramov, on January 16 in Baku during a joint press conference with his Georgian counterpart, Maka Bochorishvili, as reported by Report.
“In September 2023, Azerbaijan restored its sovereignty by conducting a 23-hour counter-terrorism operation on its sovereign territory. Shortly after, we witnessed actions by the United States that were inconsistent with international law. There exists a U.S. sanctions document known as the Section 907 Amendment to the Freedom Support Act, adopted in 1992. Its enforcement against Azerbaijan had been suspended for many years. However, this suspension was not renewed recently, and after 20 years, Azerbaijan was effectively ‘punished’ for restoring its sovereignty,” the Foreign Minister stated.
The minister also addressed USAID’s activities in Azerbaijan, noting that they primarily served to advance U.S. interests.
“Despite this, Azerbaijan has stated that if the U.S. is genuinely interested in providing assistance to Azerbaijan, such assistance must be offered officially and in a fully transparent manner,” Bayramov said.
He added that, as of July 1, 2024, USAID’s activities in Azerbaijan will be legally impossible.
Bayramov recalled the existence of a framework agreement since 2000.
“We analyzed the provisions of this agreement and how they have been implemented in recent years. It became evident that USAID’s activities did not serve Azerbaijan’s interests but were aimed at advancing the U.S. agenda in Azerbaijan. Based on this, in accordance with the provisions of the agreement, we issued notifications and stated our disinterest in extending the agreement under the existing terms,” Bayramov explained.
The minister noted that the agreement was set to expire in February 2024.
“During this period, high-level communications from the U.S. indicated an interest in continuing cooperation within the framework of USAID. We informed the other side about the need for negotiations on the terms and sent our proposals to the U.S. in writing. However, from February to June, the U.S. attempted to dictate its terms and impose them on Azerbaijan, disregarding the legitimate interests of our country. Considering this, Azerbaijan decided not to extend the agreement,” Bayramov added.
In conclusion, he stated, “The time has come to cease their activities. There is no longer a need for USAID’s presence and representation in Azerbaijan, and the moment to fully terminate their activities has arrived.”
