Attempts to halt US support for Azerbaijan projects fail in Congress

The Foreign Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives has rejected two proposed amendments put forward during the State Department reauthorization process.

According to domestic media, both amendments were described as overtly anti-Azerbaijani in character and were introduced by Congressman Brad Sherman, a Democrat from California who is known for his longstanding alignment with the Armenian lobby.

The first of the rejected proposals sought to prohibit the US International Finance Corporation from supporting any projects in Azerbaijan. The second aimed to revoke the president’s authority to suspend Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, which restricts US assistance to Azerbaijan.

The decision to block the amendments is regarded as another setback for the Armenian lobby in Congress, which has actively opposed US President Donald Trump’s peace initiative to advance reconciliation between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The State Department reauthorization process is conducted annually, providing Congress with the opportunity to review, adjust, and extend the legislative framework and organisational structure of the Department of State.

On August 8, during the visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Washington, President Trump signed a document suspending the enforcement of Section 907.

Section 907, adopted by Congress in 1992, banned direct US government aid to Azerbaijan under the pretext of an alleged blockade against Armenia. At the time of its adoption, Armenian forces were occupying Azerbaijani territories. Although successive US administrations consistently waived the measure, the Biden administration under Secretary of State Antony Blinken reinstated its enforcement in recent years, using it as a political tool against Azerbaijan.

By Tamilla Hasanova