Inside Trump’s waiver: Full text on US Section 907 suspension Details

The official US government journal, the Federal Register, has published the text of a memorandum by President Donald Trump suspending the enforcement of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, which restricts US aid to Azerbaijan.

In the memorandum addressed to the Secretary of State, President Trump stated that the extension is justified under US law, Caliber.Az cites the text.

“By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including title II of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2002 (Public Law 107-115), I hereby determine and certify that extending the waiver of section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act (Public Law 102-511) with respect to Azerbaijan:

• is necessary to support United States efforts to counter international terrorism; or

• is necessary to support the operational readiness of United States Armed Forces or coalition partners to counter international terrorism; or

• is important to Azerbaijan's border security; and

• will not undermine or hamper ongoing efforts to negotiate a peaceful settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan or be used for offensive purposes against Armenia.

Accordingly, I hereby extend the waiver of section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act.

You are authorized and directed to publish this determination in the Federal Register and to provide this determination and the Memorandum of Justification to the appropriate committees of the Congress.” the text reads. 

“Extending the waiver of section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act with respect to Azerbaijan is necessary to support United States efforts to counter international terrorism; is necessary to support the operational readiness of United States Armed Forces or coalition partners to counter international terrorism; or is important to Azerbaijan's border security,” the document reads.

US President Donald Trump signed the document suspending the enforcement of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act on August 8 during Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Washington.

Section 907, adopted by the US Congress in 1992, banned direct government aid to Azerbaijan under the pretext of an alleged blockade against Armenia. At the time, Armenian forces were occupying Azerbaijani territories. Although the amendment had been regularly waived by successive US administrations, the Biden–Blinken team reinstated its enforcement in recent years, using it as a political lever against Azerbaijan.