Washington, August 15 – The U.S. government’s official publication Federal Register has released the full text of President Donald Trump’s memorandum suspending Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, which had restricted American assistance to Azerbaijan.
In the document addressed to the Secretary of State, Trump certified that extending the waiver is justified under U.S. law, citing four key points:
It is necessary to support U.S. efforts to combat international terrorism.
Stay Ahead with Azerbaijan.usGet exclusive translations, top stories, and analysis — straight to your inbox.It is needed to enhance the operational readiness of U.S. or coalition armed forces in counterterrorism missions.
It is important for strengthening Azerbaijan’s border security.
It will not undermine peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, nor be used for offensive purposes against Armenia.
The memorandum authorizes the decision’s publication in the Federal Register and its submission to relevant Congressional committees.
President Trump signed the suspension on August 8 during Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s working visit to Washington.
Section 907, passed by Congress in 1992, prohibited direct U.S. government aid to Azerbaijan on the grounds of an alleged blockade of Armenia — despite the fact that Armenian forces were occupying Azerbaijani territories at the time. While successive U.S. administrations routinely waived the measure, the Biden–Blinken team in recent years reinstated it, using it as a political tool against Baku.
