Us-Azerbaijani Relations: Exploring American Support For Azerbaijan

America's relationship with Azerbaijan is a complex one, with the two countries working together to promote European energy security, expand bilateral trade and investment, and combat terrorism and transnational threats. The US established diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan in 1992, following its independence from the Soviet Union, and has since provided aid to improve security, increase economic development, and promote independent institutions and civil society. However, the US-Azerbaijani relationship has been influenced by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, with the US taking a mediating role in attempts to resolve the dispute. In recent years, the US has expressed concern over Azerbaijan's growing aggression against Armenia and its treatment of ethnic Armenians in the breakaway republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. Additionally, the strengthening of ties between Azerbaijan and Russia has caused unease in Washington, particularly in the context of the war in Ukraine.

US-Azerbaijani security relations

The US and Azerbaijan also have a strong security partnership in the context of the transportation of Caspian energy resources to Western markets. US companies are actively involved in the development of Caspian hydrocarbons in Azerbaijani oil fields, and the US government actively supported the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline as the primary route of transportation for Caspian oil.

In recent years, the US and Azerbaijan have sought to strengthen their security partnership further to counter shared threats from Russia and Iran. Azerbaijan's geographic location makes it a gateway to Central Asia and the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, which provides a critical alternative trade route between Europe and China that bypasses Russia and Belarus. The development of alternative trade routes that minimise opportunities for Russian interference is in Washington's strategic interest.

Additionally, Azerbaijan has provided humanitarian and political support to Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, drawing "bewilderment" from Russia's foreign ministry and nuclear threats from its political circles. Azerbaijan's stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict is notable as it contrasts with the policies of its neighbours, Armenia and Iran, which have been assisting Russia in various ways.

In terms of public opinion, according to the 2012 US Global Leadership Report, 53% of Azerbaijanis approve of US leadership, with 27% disapproving and 21% uncertain.

US-Azerbaijani economic relations

The United States established diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan in 1992, following its independence from the Soviet Union. The two countries have since worked together to promote European energy security, expand bilateral trade and investment, and combat terrorism and transnational threats.

The US government has long supported Azerbaijan's efforts to develop and export its energy resources to Western markets. Crude oil is the largest import from Azerbaijan to the US. US companies are involved in developing Azerbaijan's offshore oilfields, and the US government actively supported the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline as the primary route for transporting Caspian oil. The US has also signed a bilateral trade agreement with Azerbaijan, granting it the status of a "most-favoured nation", and a bilateral investment treaty, naming it a beneficiary country under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme.

US companies are also involved in exporting aircraft and heavy machinery to Azerbaijan and are considering opportunities in agriculture, telecommunications, tourism, and transportation services. Azerbaijan's Law on Protection of Foreign Investments permits foreign direct investment in any activity in which a national investor may also invest, with some exceptions in the national security and defence sectors.

The US government provides assistance to Azerbaijan to improve its capacity to deal with security threats, increase and diversify economic development, and promote independent institutions and civil society. The US and Azerbaijan periodically convene the US-Azerbaijan Economic Partnership Commission to discuss bilateral cooperation to promote trade and investment.

US-Azerbaijani diplomatic relations

The United States established diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan in 1992, following its independence from the Soviet Union. The two countries work together to promote European energy security, expand bilateral trade and investment, and combat terrorism and transnational threats. The US is committed to strengthening democracy and promoting economic diversification in Azerbaijan.

US assistance to Azerbaijan aims to improve its capacity to deal with security threats, increase and diversify economic development, and promote independent institutions and civil society. The US has also supported Azerbaijan's application to the World Trade Organization.

The US-Azerbaijani security partnership has developed along several paths, including Azerbaijan's active participation in NATO's Partnership for Peace program and the US-led missions in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Azerbaijan has also contributed to the US-led War on Terror by providing overflight, refuelling, and landing rights for US and coalition aircraft bound for Afghanistan and Iraq.

Economic cooperation between the two countries is focused on the development of Caspian energy resources and their transportation to Western markets. US companies are involved in the development of Caspian hydrocarbons in offshore Azerbaijani oil fields, and the US government actively supported the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline as the primary route of transportation for Caspian oil.

However, US-Azerbaijani relations have been strained by Azerbaijan's invasion of Armenia, its authoritarian regime, and its strengthening ties with Russia. The US has been involved in attempts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan since 1992 and has called for Azerbaijan to unblock the Lachin Corridor to allow for the passage of essential humanitarian aid.

Overall, the US-Azerbaijani diplomatic relations are multifaceted, with cooperation in security, energy, and economic spheres, but tensions over human rights, democracy, and regional conflicts.

US-Azerbaijani military relations

The U.S.-Azerbaijani military relations have developed along several paths, including Azerbaijan's active participation in NATO's Partnership for Peace program and the U.S.-led missions in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. The two countries also share bilateral military ties to ensure Caspian energy and transportation security.

In support of the U.S.-led War on Terror, Azerbaijan has contributed troops and provided overflight, refuelling, and landing rights for U.S. and coalition aircraft bound for Afghanistan and Iraq. The country has also shared information to combat terrorism financing and detained and prosecuted suspected terrorists. Additionally, over one-third of all non-lethal equipment used by the U.S. military in Afghanistan, including fuel, clothing, and food, travels through Baku.

The U.S. State Department offered Azerbaijan $10 million to enhance its security structures in the Caspian Sea in 2011, and in November of the same year, the United States Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, met with the Azerbaijani President and Defence Minister to announce the expansion of military ties between the two countries.

The U.S. Navy has helped train the Azerbaijani Navy, and there is an agreement in place to provide U.S. support for refurbishing Azerbaijani warships in the Caspian Sea. Additionally, the U.S. Government donated three motorboats to the Azerbaijani Navy in 2006. In 2007, an agreement was concluded between the Azerbaijani Navy and a U.S. military company, stating that a part of the Azerbaijani Navy would be equipped with advanced laser marksmanship systems, with U.S. company specialists providing training on the use of the new equipment.

Several separate U.S. programmes are also underway under the Caspian Guard Initiative, focused mainly on enhancing Azerbaijani and Kazakh maritime border security.

The U.S. state of Oklahoma is linked with Azerbaijan through the U.S. National Guard State Partnership Program (SPP). Oklahoma National Guard troops have been sent on training and humanitarian missions to Baku.

US-Azerbaijani cultural relations

The United States and Azerbaijan have a Trade Relations Agreement and a Bilateral Investment Treaty. The two countries periodically convene the U.S.-Azerbaijan Economic Partnership Commission to discuss bilateral cooperation to promote trade and investment. The U.S. government actively supports Azerbaijan's efforts to develop and export its energy resources to Western markets. Crude oil is the largest import from Azerbaijan to the U.S. American companies are involved in various sectors in Azerbaijan, including offshore oil development projects, aircraft and heavy machinery exports, and agriculture, telecommunications, tourism, and transportation services.

The U.S. government provides assistance to Azerbaijan to improve its capacity to deal with security threats, increase and diversify economic development, and promote independent institutions and civil society. The U.S. is committed to strengthening democracy and promoting economic diversification in Azerbaijan. However, Azerbaijan has faced criticism from U.S. officials for its democratic track record, including concerns over the sentencing of journalists and human rights activists, and limiting foreign NGO involvement.

Both countries belong to several of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank. Azerbaijan is also an observer to the Organization of American States and the World Trade Organization and participates in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Partnership for Peace program.

The U.S. and Azerbaijan have established diplomatic relations, with embassies in each other's capital cities. The U.S. recognized Azerbaijan as an independent state in 1991, and the two countries officially established diplomatic relations in 1992.

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