Azerbaijan–US Relations

5 Posts

•

0 Followers

Azerbaijan

MPs demand Azerbaijan cut military ties with US

by Aytan Farhadova

•2 min read

Forty-three Azerbaijani MPs have appealed to Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov to ‘review’ the country’s relationship with the US, including pulling out of several military agreements. The MPs signed the statement on 5 October demanding Bayramov terminate the Joint Declaration on Future Military and Defense Cooperation, signed in 1997, and the Agreement on the Acquisition of Equipment and Mutual Services, signed in 2013. They also demanded an immediate stop to any ongoing negotiations on

Azerbaijan

US congressperson accused of accepting $360,000 in Azerbaijani bribes

by Aytan Farhadova

•3 min read

US Congressperson Henry Cuellar was indicted for accepting around $360,000 in bribes from SOCAR in exchange for lobbying for Baku in Washington. Henry Cuellar and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, were indicted on money laundering, conspiracy, and bribery charges by a Texas court on 3 May, and were released after posting a $100,000 bond. They were accused of accepting a total of $600,000 in bribes from a Mexican bank and an unidentified state-owned Azerbaijani petrol company, verified by OC Media to

Azerbaijan

Opinion | How Azerbaijan uses ‘anti-colonialism’ to authoritarian ends

by Bahruz Samadov

•6 min read

Azerbaijan’s official statements have in recent months taken a new turn, using anti-colonial rhetoric to criticise Western countries for their involvement in the region. In doing so, discourse that originated in criticism of the oppressive use of power is being used to justify the country’s move towards even greater authoritarianism. Azerbaijan’s relationship with the West has long been unstable, with its occasional advances uneasily alternating with denouncements of Western criticism of Azer

Azerbaijan

Baku accuses West of interfering in its affairs by funding AbzasMedia

by Ismi Aghayev

•2 min read

Azerbaijan has accused the US, France, and Germany of interfering in the country’s internal affairs by funding AbzasMedia, an independent news outlet raided by the police last week. On Tuesday, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned French Ambassador Anne Boillon, German Ambassador Ralf Horlemann, and acting US Ambassador Hugo Guevara to discuss their countries’ funding of AbzasMedia. According to their statement, during the meetings the ministry accused the United States Agen

From left to right, activists Sanubar Heydarova, Narmin Shahmarzade, and Gulnara Mehdiyeva. Image via Abzas.

Azerbaijan

US Embassy security hand activists and journalist to Azerbaijani police

by Ismi Aghayev

•3 min read

Three feminist activists and one journalist were detained by security at the US Embassy in Baku and handed over to police after holding and live-streaming a peaceful protest against police brutality in Gadabay. The activists were attending an early Independence Day event at the US Embassy on 23 June. During the reception, Gulnara Mehdiyeva, Sanubar Heydarova, and Narmin Shahmarzade removed their scarves to reveal black hands drawn on their necks. They stood next to Azerbaijani MPs and ot