The Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan categorically protests against the adoption of the Armenian Protection Act of 2023 by the U.S. Senate on 15 November and strongly condemns this move levelled against our country. At the same time, the Milli Majlis considers the hearings held on the same day by the Subcommittee on Europe of the United States House (of Representatives) Committee on Foreign Affairs and the statements made against our country during the hearings, as well as the biased thoughts recently expressed by U.S. government officials against our country as a serious blow to the strategic relations between the two countries. The adoption of the aforementioned act and the groundless claims against Azerbaijan create serious obstacles to the establishment of peace and stability in the region.

The Act that is based on fabricated reports and passed at the instigation of the Biden Administration by anti-Azerbaijani, corrupt and Islamophobic Senators is yet another vivid example of double standards and selectivity. Meanwhile, the hearings which resembled a scene from the theatre of the absurd are a further manifestation of the hypocritical policy of the USA.

The US side, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, passed the 907^th Amendment to the Freedom Support Act being influenced by Armenian propaganda banning the US Government’s financial aid to Azerbaijan. That was done instead of making efforts to discontinue the massacre of the Azerbaijani people when, in 1992, the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijan was broadening and, alongside the Khojali Genocide, mass destruction of the Azerbaijani populace was carried out in the villages of Malibayli, Ashaghi Gushchular and Yukhari Gushchular in Shusha Province, the village of Garabaghli in Khojavend Province and the villages of Aghdaban and Balliaga of Kalbajar Province. Azerbaijan was the only FSU country to be subjected to such a resolution. Consequently, the financial aid that was extended to the aggressor, Armenia, helped it capture the lands of Azerbaijan.

It is known full well that the 1993 resolutions Nos 822, 853, 874 and 884 of the UN Security Council and the 2008 resolution 62/243 of the UN General Assembly supported the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan unequivocally whilst demanding immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenia’s armed forces from the Azerbaijani territories they had captured. However, the United States of America did not take any action to ensure that Armenia carried out the requirements of the documents for which the USA had actually voted, and no sanctions were imposed on this country. Quite on the contrary, the USA supported the illegal separatist regime that Armenia had created in the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, provided it with financial aid and were organising regular trips of that regime’s representatives to the USA and their meetings with U.S. officials. Such lopsided steps on the part of the USA were the undoing of the U.S. mediation mission and cost the USA its reputation in the Azerbaijani society.

The U.S. side, which demonstrated indifference to the suffering, ethnic cleansing, the Khojali Genocide and other massacres caused by the occupation of 20 per cent of the internationally recognised territory of Azerbaijan for close to 30 years, as well as to the fate of the more than 1 million refugees and IDP, the coventration of towns and villages and the destruction of the historical, cultural and religious heritage is also responsible for that never once since the conclusion of the 44 days’ Patriotic War of 2020 has it called on Armenia the aggressor to conduct itself in compliance with international law. On the other hand, the U.S. Senate is openly backing the revanchist forces with the passing of such a lopsided act following the anti-terrorist measures having targeted the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia and illegal Armenian units that had remained within the Azerbaijani territory still.

Regrettably, the U.S. side repeats the historical mistake it made back in 1992 as it lifts the moratorium on the effect of the 907^th Amendment to the Freedom Support Act. And this is done even though the USA decided to suspend the 907^th Amendment from effect temporarily when Azerbaijan supported the US endeavours to combat terrorism after the attacks of 11 September 2001.

It was Azerbaijan that lent the USA a hand by opening her airspace for appropriate flight routes and making logistical resources and the Northern Distribution Network available. Azerbaijan was also among the first countries to wage the struggle against terror side by side with the USA in Afghanistan. At the same time, Azerbaijan was the last partner state to leave Afghanistan.

The U.S. support to the self-proclaimed ‘Nagorno Karabakh Republic’ following the self-dissolution declaration of this ‘NKR’ is a hypocritical act that only goes to re-escalate the regional situation. The U.S. side which recognises the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan in words began to pursue a two-faced political course and intensified unfriendly steps towards Azerbaijan specifically after our country’s having restored her territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The Azerbaijani State is implementing a set of measures to address social, humanitarian, economic and infrastructural issues in the Garabagh Region of the Republic of Azerbaijan to ensure sustainable reintegration into Azerbaijani society of the Armenian inhabitants of the Garabagh Region so that these people can enjoy the support and protection of our State.

The claims made in utter contradiction of the opinion shared by the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the UN High Commissariat for Refugees and other international organisations of forcible eviction of the Armenian inhabitants who left the region of their own free will is intended to mislead the international community.

The American foreign political course of the last years, especially as regards Afghanistan and Near East, has met with a complete fiasco. It will take a long time yet to overcome the grave consequences of that, after 20 years of bloody war, the USA heaved the responsibility on others and left the country in confrontation, to turn into a drug crop plantation. As for the invasion of Iraq in 2003, millions of Iraqis were driven from their homelands and hundreds of thousands were killed.

The USA still has not answered for the tragedies caused by the colour revolutions it organised in various parts of the world. The strengthening of the Islamophobic powers embedded in the U.S. authorities including the Congress has made certain that various organisations blatantly interfere in the internal affairs of other countries and create spy networks, especially as veiled by USAID humanitarian aid, with the ultimate attempt to carry out colour revolutions and coups d'état in countries pursuing independent policies.

It is common knowledge that the U.S. support to the attempted coup in Türkiye and the American patronage of FETÖ which attempted it as well as of other similar terrorist organisations was rooted in the desire to set up an obedient regime that would function to American dictate. Today, too, the main responsibility for the inflammation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict rests with no other but the USA.

Azerbaijan acts in her own national interest when she forms transport corridors with regional countries. Viewed from this point, the Azerbaijani-Iranian transport corridor is Azerbaijan’s sovereign choice. The USA, not a regional country, take steps and make statements dealing blows to the regional countries’ efforts to maintain transport security. The American side is perfectly aware that it was Armenia’s failure to honour its obligations under Paragraph 9 of the 2020 Trilateral Statement that moved Azerbaijan to decide to build alternative roads. It is a sovereign right of Azerbaijan to reach accommodations as to the order in which communication lines with the neighbouring countries will be installed – including as regards the agreement with Iran concerned with the route leading to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

The Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan reiterates that Azerbaijan will always respond with resolve and adequately to all negative steps contradicting her national interest while acting in keeping with the international law standards and principles, and in accordance with her international obligations.

 (This Statement of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan was passed at the plenary sitting held on 21 November 2023)