Leslie Massey
Azerbaijan, a secular Muslim-majority country located at the crossroads of the Middle East, Central Asia, and Europe, has received significant financial support from the United States government in recent decades. Since 1991, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has invested $431 million in programs aimed at supporting Azerbaijanis, including humanitarian relief, healthcare, and economic and governance reforms. Additionally, the US has provided military assistance to Azerbaijan, particularly after the country's pledge to cooperate with the global war on terrorism following the 9/11 attacks. However, there are ongoing debates and legislative efforts to end this military aid due to concerns over Azerbaijan's conflict with Armenia and its potential invasion of southern Armenia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| US funding to Azerbaijan | $431 million since 1991 |
| Funding sectors | Humanitarian relief, health sector, economic reform, governance reform |
| US military assistance to Azerbaijan | $164 million between 2002 and 2020 |
| US position on future military assistance | The US Senate passed the Armenian Protection Act to cut off security aid to Azerbaijan for the next two years |
What You'll Learn
US security aid to Azerbaijan
The U.S. has been providing military aid to Azerbaijan for years, but the Biden administration has decided to stop this aid.
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US military assistance to Azerbaijan
The US has provided military assistance to Azerbaijan in the past, but the extent and nature of this support have been re-evaluated in light of recent events. While the US has not publicly disclosed the specifics of its military assistance to Azerbaijan, there have been calls from US senators to halt security assistance to the country. This call comes in response to Azerbaijan's military actions in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which resulted in the expulsion of its Armenian population and the erasure of their rich history.
US Senator Ben Cardin, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has issued a statement expressing concern over Azerbaijan's military actions and the need to reevaluate military assistance. In his statement, Senator Cardin emphasizes the importance of prioritizing support for expelled Armenians and holding Azerbaijan accountable for its campaign of ethnic cleansing. He also highlights the need to ensure that Azerbaijan does not advance militarily in pursuit of further territorial gains and condemns inflammatory rhetoric.
The US has a history of providing military assistance to Azerbaijan, but the current level and nature of this support are unclear. There are indications that the US is re-evaluating its position on military assistance to the country in light of recent events.
While the specifics of US military assistance to Azerbaijan are not publicly available, it is known that the US has provided substantial economic and humanitarian support to the country. Since 1991, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has invested $431 million in programs to support Azerbaijanis, including humanitarian relief, improvements to the health sector, and economic and governance reform.
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US foreign aid to Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan and the United States have shared positive diplomatic relations since Azerbaijan's formation in 1992. The US has expressed its commitment to strengthening democracy in the region, diversifying the economy, and promoting regional stability. The US government has provided foreign assistance to Azerbaijan, with a focus on supporting the growth of the non-oil sector and strengthening democratic and governance processes.
In 2017, the US government gave $15.31 million in foreign assistance to Azerbaijan. This included over $4 million towards democracy, human rights, and governance agendas, and $3.63 million towards economic development. Since 1991, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has invested $431 million in programs to support Azerbaijanis, including humanitarian relief, the health sector, and economic and governance reform.
USAID's strategy in Azerbaijan is outlined in the Azerbaijan Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) for 2020-2025. The strategy focuses on building a better environment for private sector growth and investment, particularly in the agriculture and tourism sectors. USAID also works to address challenges that make communities vulnerable, such as trafficking in persons, unemployment, water scarcity in rural areas, and gender inequality. Additionally, USAID supports efforts of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to provide essential services and increase citizen participation in public life.
The primary objective of USAID contributions in Azerbaijan is to support the country's reform processes by promoting competition and pluralism, laying the foundation for a sustainable market-based democracy. As a Muslim-majority country with a history of religious tolerance, Azerbaijan's successful transition to a market economy could provide a model for other countries in the region. Positive relations with Azerbaijan also support American jobs and advance US security goals in the region, as Azerbaijan is a committed partner in combating terrorism and money laundering.
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US economic aid to Azerbaijan
Since 1991, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has invested $431 million in programs to support Azerbaijanis, including humanitarian relief, the health sector, and economic and governance reform. USAID promotes private sector growth, investment, and employment, focusing on micro, small, and medium enterprises in the non-energy sectors (e.g., agriculture and tourism).
In addition, USAID works to address challenges that make communities vulnerable, including combating trafficking in persons and gender-based violence, improving the emergency healthcare system, addressing climate change, improving gender equality and women's economic empowerment, and supporting government and non-governmental organizations to provide essential public services while increasing citizen participation in public life.
However, there have been calls to end US military assistance to Azerbaijan due to concerns over its conflict with Armenia and the potential invasion of southern Armenia. The US had provided security assistance to Azerbaijan, with reported aid totalling $164 million between 2002 and 2020. In 2023, the US Senate passed the Armenian Protection Act, which would cut off US security aid to Azerbaijan for two years.
While the US has provided economic aid to Azerbaijan through USAID, there is also a history of military assistance, which has become a subject of debate and potential legislative action.
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US humanitarian relief to Azerbaijan
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has invested $431 million in programs to support Azerbaijanis since 1991, including humanitarian relief, the health sector, and economic and governance reform. The US government's efforts to provide humanitarian relief to Azerbaijan aim to address challenges that make communities vulnerable, including combating trafficking in persons and gender-based violence, improving the emergency healthcare system, addressing climate change, improving gender equality and women's economic empowerment, and supporting government and non-governmental organizations to provide essential public services while increasing citizen participation in public life.
In addition to humanitarian relief, the US has also provided security assistance to Azerbaijan. Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Azerbaijan pledged to cooperate with the US in combating terrorism, and Congress approved a process to waive Section 907 of the 1992 Freedom Support Act, which prohibited most US government-to-government assistance to Azerbaijan due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. From 2002 to 2020, the US Departments of State and Defense reported providing about $164 million for security assistance to the Azerbaijani government. However, there have been calls to end military assistance to Azerbaijan, especially following the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020, as military equipment provided by the US has been used to satiate Azerbaijan's territorial aspirations rather than for its intended purpose of supporting counter-terrorism efforts.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the US has funded Azerbaijan. Since 1991, USAID has invested $431 million in programs to support Azerbaijanis, including humanitarian relief, the health sector, and economic and governance reform.
Yes, the US has provided military aid to Azerbaijan. From 2002 to 2020, the Departments of State and Defense (DOD) reported providing about $164 million for security assistance to the government of Azerbaijan.
After the attacks on 9/11, Azerbaijan pledged to cooperate with President George W. Bush’s global war on terrorism. This led Congress to approve a process to waive Section 907 of the 1992 Freedom Support Act, which prohibited aid to Azerbaijan.
No, the US is not currently providing military aid to Azerbaijan. In 2020, Azerbaijan initiated the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War with Armenia, leading Congress to increase pressure on the State Department to end Azerbaijan’s security aid waiver. In 2023, the Senate passed the Armenian Protection Act, which cuts off U.S. security aid to Azerbaijan for the next two years.
