Baku, August 8 – The anticipated suspension of Section 907 of the U.S. Freedom Support Act during Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Washington would signal a strategic reorientation in U.S.–Azerbaijan relations, American international law expert and political analyst Irina Tsukerman told Trend.
For decades, Section 907 restricted U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan over the conflict with Armenia. Tsukerman said lifting it would mark “a more balanced and pragmatic understanding of Azerbaijan’s role as a stabilizing force in the South Caucasus and a key energy security partner for the U.S. and its allies.”
This, she noted, would deepen bilateral ties and send a clear message to other regional actors that Washington views Baku as a central partner in its Eurasian strategy.
Tsukerman also highlighted the significance of the Memorandum of Understanding expected to be signed in Washington, which will establish a Strategic Working Group to advance a U.S.–Azerbaijan Strategic Partnership Charter. She described it as “not just a diplomatic formality” but a framework for sustained, structured cooperation in energy, regional infrastructure projects, and economic diversification. The inclusion of advanced technology fields such as artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure, she said, would give the partnership a future-oriented edge and help position Azerbaijan as a regional innovation hub.
On security, Tsukerman noted that the charter envisions cooperation in counterterrorism and defense trade, with mechanisms for progress assessment and joint planning — effectively transforming bilateral relations into a strategic alliance capable of responding to evolving geopolitical challenges.
Turning to the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace process, Tsukerman called the planned initialing of a peace treaty text in Washington “a historic moment” in resolving a long-standing conflict. While procedural, the step would enshrine principles such as mutual recognition of borders, security guarantees, dispute resolution mechanisms, and frameworks for economic and humanitarian cooperation. It would also restore communication channels and trade routes, advancing stability and integration in the region, while reaffirming the U.S.’s renewed role in shaping peace in the South Caucasus.
Tsukerman stressed the transformative potential of the Zangezur Corridor, linking mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan via Armenia’s southern regions. The route would provide a direct land connection, reduce transit costs and times, and strengthen Azerbaijan’s territorial unity. Regionally, it could serve as a key artery connecting the Caspian to Turkey and European markets, attracting foreign investment and fostering interdependence among regional economies.
Finally, Tsukerman pointed to the joint decision by Azerbaijan and Armenia to ask the OSCE Secretary General to dissolve the Minsk Group, calling it “a decisive shift” in conflict resolution mechanisms. Created in the 1990s, the group had become “synonymous with deadlock and diplomatic inertia,” failing to adapt to changing realities on the ground. Its dissolution, she argued, reflects both countries’ desire to move away from formats that no longer deliver results.
