(MENAFN- AzerNews)
By Sabina Mammadli
In 2022, Azerbaijan marks the 30th anniversary of the
establishment of diplomatic relations with the subjects of
international relations - both individual states and international
organizations.
Azernews, the nation's first English language media outlet, has
launched a new project, designed to cover the major points of the
30-year-long diplomatic ties between Azerbaijan and individual
states and organizations.
This time the United States of America is on the agenda.
This year Azerbaijan and the United States also mark the
30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties. The
cooperation between the two countries in the energy, security
sectors, and in the fight against terror is particularly
strong.
For 30 years, the two states have worked together to promote
European energy security, expand bilateral trade and investment,
and combat terrorism and transnational threats. Moreover, the U.S.
is pursuing lasting peace in the South Caucasus region.
And for the convenience of our readers, we are trying to shed
light on specific aspects of the relations in a Q&A format.
Q: When did Azerbaijan and the United States
establish diplomatic relations? What do we know about the history
of ties?
A: The United States recognized
Azerbaijan's independence on December 25, 1991. The countries
established their diplomatic relations in the same year.
On March 6, 1992, Azerbaijan opened its embassy in Washington,
and on March 16, 1992, the United States opened its embassy in
Baku, with Robert Finn as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. Secretary
of State Baker visited Azerbaijan on February 12, 1992.
The United States has provided over $125 million to IDPs in
Azerbaijan since 1992 and remains committed to supporting this
community. According to the current US ambassador to Azerbaijan,
Lee Litzenberger, this assistance has included targeted support for
children, such as the construction and renovation of schools,
capacity-building programs for youth, and English language programs
for IDP communities.
Q: What is the current state and spheres of
economic cooperation between the two countries?
A: The economic relationships between
the United States and Azerbaijan have primarily developed in the
context of the Caspian energy resources and their transportation to
western markets. The U.S. companies are actively involved in the
development of Caspian hydrocarbons in offshore Azerbaijani
oilfields, and the U.S. government actively supported the
Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline as the primary route of transportation
for Caspian oil. Notably, Azerbaijan and U.S. have become strong
partners in promoting European energy security.
Talking about an abundance of accords signed between the two
states, one of those was the bilateral trade agreement, signed in
1995, which granted Azerbaijan the status of a 'most favored
nation”. Similarly, the bilateral investment treaty named
Azerbaijan a beneficiary country under the Generalized System of
Preferences (GSP) program in 2008. The GSP program provides an
incentive for investors to produce in Azerbaijan and export
selected products duty-free to the U.S. market.
Crude oil is the single largest import from Azerbaijan to the
United States. U.S. companies are involved in offshore oil
development projects in Azerbaijan, export aircraft and heavy
machinery to Azerbaijan, and are considering opportunities in
agriculture, telecommunications, tourism, transportation services,
and other fields.
Furthermore, the U.S. also supports Azerbaijan's application for
accession to the World Trade Organization.
The two states periodically convene the U.S.-Azerbaijan Economic
Partnership Commission to discuss bilateral cooperation to promote
trade and investment.
USAID contributes to the social and economic development of
Azerbaijan through activities that further develop the agricultural
sector and strengthen citizen participation in rural communities.
USAID assistance focuses on activities that directly benefit the
lives of the Azerbaijani people, create economic opportunities, and
expand partnerships to enhance civil society at the grassroots
level.
The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and U.S. amounted to
$517.5 million in 2021.
Q: What is the United States' view of the
Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict?
A: The year 2022 not only marks the
30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties
between Azerbaijan and the U.S. but also the 30th
anniversary of the infamous Section 907 that was passed against
Azerbaijan by Congress, influenced by the Armenian lobby.
Congress passed the notorious amendment to the Freedom Support
Act, Section No. 907, which deprived Azerbaijan of direct military
assistance.
“And we, the affected country, were essentially discriminated
against. The rationale behind it was that Azerbaijan was blocking
Armenia. Just imagine - Zangilan, Gubadli, Lachin, and Kalbajar
regions are occupied. And this is described as a blockade of
Armenia,” Aliyev said in an interview with Russia's Natsionalnaya
Oborona magazine.
However, the administrations of George H. W. Bush, Clinton, and
George W. Bush opposed Section 907, viewing it as an impediment to
impartial U.S. foreign policy in the region and an obstacle to the
U.S. role in the Karabakh conflict mediation efforts.
Consequently, after the September 11 attacks in 2001, the
amendment to the Act adopted by the Senate on October 24, 2001,
provided the president with the ability to waiver Section 907. And
this year the amendment was once again extended.
In view of Azerbaijan's contribution and support for the US
military operations in Afghanistan, President George W. Bush waived
the section in January 2002 and President Barack Obama further
extended that waiver.
Azerbaijan was one of the first countries to join the global
anti-terror coalition assembled by the U.S. government. Azerbaijan
opened its airspace to the allied forces and assured its agencies
would cooperate and provide information that would assist in
American-led efforts.
In November 2011, the United States Secretary of the Navy Ray
Mabus met with the Azerbaijani president and defense minister
announcing the military ties between their countries would expand.
The U.S. State Department already offered Azerbaijan $10 million to
enhance its security structures in the Caspian Sea earlier that
year.
Despite the notorious amendment, the U.S. has been actively
involved in the attempts to resolve the conflict since 1992. Today,
the country is in direct dialogue with Azerbaijan and Armenia to
support the peace process. Moreover, it is providing humanitarian
demining assistance in Karabakh.
In the recent report, titled“2021 Report on International
Religious Freedom” under the section“Armenia”, U.S. State
Department highlighted that hundreds of sites, including most
mosques, shrines, and cemeteries used by the region's ethnic
Azerbaijani communities – approximately 400,000 people – were
looted, vandalized, desecrated, and/or destroyed while under
Armenian occupation.
Q: How do the two countries cooperate in
political, international, educational, and other
spheres?
A: Throughout these years, Azerbaijan
and the United States of America have maintained stable high-level
political dialogue that is ensured through regular meetings of top
officials.
Furthermore, the two countries have a strong connection in the
sphere of education. This way, the Public Affairs Section of the
U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan works to foster mutual understanding
between the United States and Azerbaijan through international
educational and training exchange programs. The department brings
U.S. scholars and researchers to Azerbaijan, as well as sends
Azerbaijani students, educators, and professionals to the United
States annually for a variety of programs.
Education USA is one of those programs that offer information
about opportunities to study at accredited postsecondary
institutions in the United States.
To conclude, the bilateral relations between the two countries
are well-rounded and have the full potential to evolve further.
--
Sabina Mammadli is AzerNews' staff journalist, follow her on
Twitter: @SabinaMmdl
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
- Tags:
- Energy
- Education
- terrorism
- Azerbaijan-USA
- security
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