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Azerbaijani ambassador to US Yashar Aliyev: â€œSection 907 has not been restoredâ€ â€“ INTERVIEW

Azerbaijani ambassador to US Yashar Aliyev: â€œSection 907 has not been restoredâ€ â€“ <font color=red>INTERVIEW </font>

25 June 2009 09:05 (UTC +04:00)

-Some media outlets report quoting the Armenian sources that the House Committee of Appropriations passed a decision to restore Section 907 to the â€œFreedom Support Actâ€. What can you say about it?

-I will give a concrete answer: the information is not true.

-But Armenians claim that this â€œdecisionâ€ has been passed, because Azerbaijan violated ceasefire on the line of contactâ€¦

-Let me cite the text of the draft budget of the Committee on Appropriations. It says: â€œThe Committee on Appropriations supports the â€œMinsk processâ€ serving the peaceful solution to the conflict and the efforts of the Department of State towards the acceleration of the process of negotiations. The committee considers that both parties should refrain from threats, incitement to the use of force, or other inflammatory rhetoric. So, the committee does not make any remarks or express wish to Azerbaijan in its document, but recommends both parties of the conflict to be patient. It shows that these reports are not true.

- What does the budget project approved by the Committee on Appropriations say about the section?

- There should be an exact report based on the facts. Section 907 was adopted in 1992. There were some extenuating amendments to the section until 2001. The Congress authorized the US President in 2001, after the September 11 events, to suspend the validity of the section, which considers not suspension of Section 907 for altogether, but freezing it annually. It means that Section 907 was not lifted and it exists as a law. The US President has suspended it every year since 2002. According to the US procedures, the Congress makes the final decision about the budget expenditures and every year Section 907 comes to the agenda during the budget discussions. I would like to bring a quotation from the Committee on Appropriations about the â€œMinsk processâ€ to your attention. The draft document says: â€œConsidering the authorities the Congress gives to the President within the Appropriation Act 2002 and its implementation since that year, the Committee recommends to the State Department to hold consultations with the Committee on Appropriations to implement all terms of suspension completely before its implementation in 2010â€. It shows clearly how the real situation is.

-Does it mean the end of misunderstandings?

- I have to notice that the discussion and approval of the US law on appropriations is a long and multiphase process. The House of Representatives should discuss the draft law and it has to be discussed at the Senate subcommittees as well. The final document must be adopted by the end of year. We are always keeping this issue in the focus of attention.