Section 907 of the United States Freedom Support Act bans any kind of direct United States aid to the Azerbaijani government. This ban made Azerbaijan the only post-Soviet state not to receive direct aid from the United States government to facilitate economic and political stability. [1]
The Act was strongly lobbied for by the Armenian-American community in the US, [2] and was passed in response to Azerbaijan's blockade of Armenia during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War between the two nations.
On October 24, 2001, the Senate adopted an amendment to the Act that would provide the President with the ability to waive Section 907. [3] They have done so since then. [4] [5] [6] [7] On November 15, 2023, United States Senate adopted a bill that would suspend all military aid to Azerbaijan by repealing the Freedom Support Act Section 907 waiver authority for the Administration with respect to assistance to Azerbaijan for fiscal years 2024 or 2025. [8]
Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act (Public Law 102-511) Washington DC, 24 October 1992
Sec. 907. RESTRICTION ON ASSISTANCE TO AZERBAIJAN.
(1) Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act shall not apply to--
(2) The President may waive section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act if he determines and certifies to the Committees on Appropriations that to do so--
(3) The authority of paragraph (2) may only be exercised through December 31, 2002.
(4) The President may extend the waiver authority provided in paragraph (2) on an annual basis on or after December 31, 2002, if he determines and certifies to the Committees on Appropriations in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (2).
(5) The Committees on Appropriations shall be consulted prior to the provision of any assistance made available pursuant to paragraph (2).
(6) Within 60 days of any exercise of the authority under paragraph (2) the President shall send a report to the appropriate congressional committees specifying in detail the following--
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