President Ilham Aliyev’s ongoing visit to Washington focuses on two key issues of great importance on Azerbaijan’s foreign policy agenda. The first is the signing of an agreement aimed at elevating Azerbaijan–U.S. relations to the strategic level. The second is the planned signing of a joint declaration, during a meeting between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia mediated by the United States, which will be considered an important step toward peace between the two countries.
Sultan Zahidov, Senior Advisor at the Center of Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center), told APA that in today’s meeting, U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to sign a document suspending Section 907 of the 1992 Freedom Support Act.
Trump’s suspension of the Section 907 amendment: a new chapter in U.S.–Azerbaijan relations
“It should be noted that the Freedom Support Act was adopted by the U.S. Congress in 1992. Under this law, the United States was to provide economic, material, and military assistance to the newly independent countries of the post-Soviet space. While officially aimed at promoting democracy in those countries, it was clear that geopolitical considerations were behind this plan—the United States sought to increase its influence and sphere of control in the post-Soviet region.
However, it must be emphasized that later, due to lobbying by certain U.S. senators, the Armenian diaspora, and the Armenian-American community, a bill was proposed and adopted to amend the Freedom Support Act with Section 907. Among its initiators were then-Senator Joe Biden and Senator John Kerry.
Under Section 907, the U.S. provided support to all newly independent post-Soviet states except Azerbaijan. In other words, the U.S. government withheld economic and material assistance from Azerbaijan. This was, without question, a biased approach. Indeed, for the U.S. to take such a step against Azerbaijan—a country of strategic importance in the South Caucasus—had a negative impact on bilateral relations at the time,” he said.
The section 907 amendment was a result of the biased policy of previous U.S. administrations towards Azerbaijan
Sultan Zahidov recalled that the alleged reason for adopting Section 907 was the claim that Azerbaijan was blockading Armenia: “In fact, the exact opposite had occurred. It was clear that at that time there was a war, Armenia was occupying Azerbaijani territories, and, in response, Azerbaijan had naturally closed its borders with Armenia. Using this as a pretext, the U.S. adopted such an amendment, providing aid to all other countries while depriving Azerbaijan of this assistance. This was part of Washington’s biased policy of the time.
Later, in 2001, the U.S. Senate adopted a decision granting the President the authority to suspend Section 907. At that time, the United States was at war in Afghanistan, conducting counterterrorism operations, and it needed Azerbaijan’s assistance. Azerbaijan, during that period, closely cooperated with the U.S. in combating terrorism, declaring its airspace and logistical infrastructure open for American use. For this reason, U.S. presidents have suspended Section 907 every year since 2001. At the same time, Azerbaijan deployed a peacekeeping mission to Afghanistan, which was a clear example of its support for the U.S. counterterrorism campaign.
Subsequently, particularly after U.S. forces withdrew from Afghanistan, the Biden administration brought Section 907 back onto the agenda. Under both President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken, this measure was used unfairly and deliberately as a political pressure tool against Azerbaijan. In 2023, the U.S. Senate passed the “Armenia Protection Act” and also decided to reinstate Section 907. This was a clear example of the Blinken administration’s biased stance toward Azerbaijan, which should be seen in the context of its close ties with the Armenian diaspora—especially since one of the initiators of Section 907 back in 1992 was then-Senator Joe Biden.
Unfortunately, at that time, the United States failed to properly assess its Caucasus policy, did not value Azerbaijan’s strategic role, and as a result, significantly weakened its influence in the region. Today, however, the situation is entirely different. During Donald Trump’s presidency, the U.S. began to take more constructive steps toward the South Caucasus and Azerbaijan. A congratulatory letter was sent to the head of state, telephone conversations took place between President Donald Trump and President Ilham Aliyev, and Trump’s envoys—including Steve Witkoff—visited Baku. This demonstrated Trump’s deeper understanding of Azerbaijan’s strategic role in the Caucasus and his commitment to strengthening bilateral relations.
Trump’s suspension of the Section 907 amendment will mark the beginning of a new stage in U.S.–Azerbaijan relations
The political expert noted that as a result, today in Washington, at Donald Trump’s invitation, President Ilham Aliyev and Donald Trump will first hold a bilateral meeting, followed by a trilateral meeting with the participation of the Armenian Prime Minister, during which important documents will be signed: “It is also expected that Donald Trump will sign the document suspending Section 907, which will lay the foundation for a new stage in Azerbaijan–U.S. relations. These steps, indicating that the United States under Trump will pursue a more constructive, realpolitik, and pragmatic policy, will also make a significant contribution to ensuring peace and stability in the South Caucasus.
Above all, we know that the principle of creating peace is a priority in Donald Trump’s foreign policy. The U.S. is now trying to present itself not as a state that generates wars but as one that builds peace, and in this regard, achieving peace in the Caucasus is one of the main elements of its foreign policy strategy.
Overall, Section 907 was an unfair and biased decision. Denying aid to a state under occupation, while instead providing aid to the occupying state—Armenia—was, in the truest sense, an example of injustice and prejudice. As a result, the U.S.’s failure in the 1990s, and especially under Biden and Blinken, to properly assess its Caucasus policy and Azerbaijan’s role significantly weakened its influence in the region. Now Donald Trump intends to correct the mistakes of the Biden administration, give new momentum to Azerbaijan–U.S. relations, and at today’s Washington meeting, we will witness this in practice.”
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