Response from Azerbaijani MPs to U.S. Congressmen: “This is a Demarche Against State Independence”

“How Alarmed They’ve Become…”

On October 5, 43 members of the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan appealed to the country's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, requesting a reassessment of relations with the United States and the termination of defense cooperation agreements.

The MPs called for halting all projects implemented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and its non-governmental organizations in Azerbaijan, as well as ending USAID's operations in the country.

The documents the MPs sought to annul included the “Joint Declaration on Future Military and Defense Relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the United States” (signed in 1997) and the “Agreement on the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing of Equipment between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Department of Defense of the United States” (signed in 2013).

The MPs' appeal was prepared in response to a letter from a group of U.S. Congress members addressed to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

On October 3, nearly 60 U.S. Congressmen urged Secretary Blinken to pressure Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to protect human rights and release all political prisoners ahead of the COP29 climate conference scheduled to be held in Baku next month: “We call on the State Department to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, hostages, and detainees, including ethnic Armenians, to create a more favorable environment for successful diplomacy at COP29.”

The Congressmen also demanded that “provocative statements against Armenia” be ceased.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev criticized the appeal, stating: “They cannot influence our will... I have no doubt that this appeal was drafted within the U.S. State Department.”
So far, there has been no response from the U.S. to the president’s criticism.

One of the MPs who signed the appeal, Fazil Mustafa, told Turan news agency that the issue at stake is the threat to state independence: “This step by the U.S. is not just an expression of a pro-Armenian stance, but a demarche against the independence of Azerbaijan.”

Mustafa emphasized that independence is the highest value: “This threatening move against the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan clearly demonstrates how problematic America's stance towards us has become.”

According to Mustafa, the situation is not dependent on Azerbaijan: “We are not the ones deteriorating relations with America. America says it is ready to take all kinds of steps for Armenia. But the steps they take threaten our state independence. So, how should Azerbaijan respond to such unfriendly behavior?”

He noted that the U.S. is a great power, and any sanctions or actions it takes against Azerbaijan may have certain repercussions:
“But that doesn’t mean we should simply stand by and watch behavior that threatens our independence. From this perspective, I believe Azerbaijan must adopt a principled stance on such issues.”

The MP argued that Azerbaijan’s efforts to improve relations with the U.S. have been clear: “We have no problem with the U.S. and have made numerous statements and shown the will to strengthen ties. But if the U.S. perceives friendship with Azerbaijan only in the context of the Armenian issue, it’s laughable. Should we base our relations with America on its history with Native Americans?”

He stated that, in this regard, Azerbaijan’s reaction is understandable: “This may have some impact on us, but if we allow such behavior that threatens our independence, other countries and entities may follow suit.”

So far, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan has not commented on the MPs’ appeal. However, some opposition parties have criticized the move.

Ali Karimli, chairman of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (AXCP), believes that the call by nearly 60 U.S. Congressmen and Senators to release over 300 political prisoners ahead of COP29 has greatly alarmed the ruling camp: “They have become so alarmed that they’ve lost their sense of reality and started threatening the U.S. with sanctions. The fact that MPs, who are not even recognized within their own constituencies and were appointed to the Milli Majlis by Ilham Aliyev, are threatening the U.S. has been met with ridicule on social media.”

Karimli added that they have seen many such threats made against the U.S. by “decaying dictatorships” and “authoritarian regimes” in the past:
“Currently, 90 percent of Western pressure on the Azerbaijani government is related to the release of political prisoners and the acceleration of peace with Armenia. Both issues fully align with Azerbaijan’s national interests.”

Political commentator Nasimi Mammadli also shared his views on the topic with Radio Azadlig, stating that good relations between Azerbaijan and the U.S. are entirely in line with Azerbaijan’s national interests: “The U.S. is the most powerful country in the world. At the same time, it has played a positive role in Azerbaijan’s national security, economic, and political interests at various times.”

The expert noted that the two countries have had significant cooperation in combating international terrorism:
“Azerbaijan is merely experiencing some tension with the U.S. regarding human rights and freedoms. This is because the Azerbaijani government is essentially trying to avoid democratic reforms. This has created some tension in relations.”

In his view, recent geopolitical developments have raised certain concerns in every country regarding national security: “Azerbaijan is located in a region closely tied to Russia and Iran. In recent years, Russia’s influence in Azerbaijan has grown significantly. Especially after the 44-day war and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Russia feels much more comfortable in Azerbaijan.”

The political analyst argued that it is not believable that MPs would independently take such a step: “This is the government’s approach and a self-addressed appeal. The government is trying to show Russia and Iran that it is just as opposed to the U.S. as they are, thereby seeking to prevent any potentially dangerous actions by these two states.”