How will the deterioration of relations with the United States affect Azerbaijan?

A hearing held on November 16 at the Foreign Relations Committee of the United States Congress in Washington focused on the future of Karabakh. James O'Brien, the Deputy Secretary of State for the Bureau of Europe and Eurasia at the State Department, stated that the U.S. would not maintain the same attitude towards Azerbaijan until a peace document is signed between Baku and Yerevan.

Coinciding with this hearing, the U.S. Congress's Upper House approved a bill to halt assistance to Azerbaijan in accordance with the 1992 amendment to the frozen Freedom Support Act 907, suspending U.S. government aid to official Azerbaijani structures.

In response, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry criticized James O'Brien's "unilateral" and "biased" opinions as ineffective, unfounded, and unacceptable. The ministry viewed the hearing as detrimental to bilateral and multilateral relations between Azerbaijan and the United States.

The ministry also accused the United States, a non-regional country, of interfering with the transportation security efforts of regional countries through its actions and statements.

Regarding the State Department official's statement that "our bilateral relations cannot be the same as before," the Azerbaijani foreign ministry emphasized that relations should not be one-sided, and in such circumstances, high-level visits from the United States to Azerbaijan are considered inappropriate.

Furthermore, amidst these developments, the ministry announced that the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia would not attend an expected meeting in Washington on November 20.

Hikmat Babaoglu, a board member of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party and Member of Parliament, stressed to Turan  that bilateral relations depend on the behavior of both parties and that Azerbaijan is open to cooperation with all countries, including the United States. He cited Azerbaijan's swift support for the U.S.-led anti-terrorism coalition in 2001 as an example of cooperation.

Babaoglu noted that the bias in this issue would likely negatively impact U.S.-Azerbaijan relations.

Arastun Orujlu, a political commentator,  in an interview with Radio Azadlig, expressed concern that the United States' suspension of aid to Azerbaijan, as reflected in the Senate's document, would freeze cooperation in various areas and lead to pressure on Azerbaijan. He speculated that deteriorating relations might result in internal repression by Azerbaijani authorities, including potential arrests, as democratic institutions in the country have been eroded in recent years.

Overall, the hearing and its implications have raised significant concerns about the future of U.S.-Azerbaijan relations and the potential consequences for the region.