Modern.az is launching the project “Foreign Countries in Azerbaijan” today, for the first time in the country's media.
The first topic of our rubric is dedicated to the United States of America (USA).
Relations between Azerbaijan and the United States of America did not begin today. The interest of US companies in Baku oil at the end of the 19th century, the letter addressed by the People's Republic to Washington in the early 20th century, and the establishment of official diplomatic relations after 1991 – all these are links in a chain.
In every period of history, America has viewed Azerbaijan with different eyes. Sometimes it has been perceived as an object of investment, sometimes a strategic partner, and sometimes a part of the geopolitical arena. It is true that, over time, the US has sometimes overlooked Azerbaijan in its South Caucasus policy and at times demonstrated a dual approach.
Therefore, we can objectively assert that we have viewed Americans as both a source of opportunity and a source of risk.
In today's article, we seek answers to questions that will be of interest to Modern.az readers.
How does America appear in Azerbaijan?
What is the view of America from Azerbaijan?
And most importantly, what does the future of these relations depend on?
First Relations and the Period of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
In the late 19th century, Baku oil illuminated almost half the world. This wealth attracted American giants like "Standard Oil."
In 1879, American representatives arrived in Baku and began to study the oil market. Although Tsarist Russia restricted their activities, the first contact had already been established. When the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was founded in 1918, the leaders of the young state attempted to establish relations with the US. In January 1919, a letter was sent to President Woodrow Wilson. In the same year, General James Harbord came to Baku, studied the situation, and reported to Washington. He wrote: "The people of Azerbaijan are ready for independence."
On May 28, 1919, while the Azerbaijan Republic was solemnly celebrating the first anniversary of its state independence, a delegation led by Alimardan bey Topchubashov met with Wilson in Paris.
However, the US did not proceed with official recognition. Thus, during the Republic period, relations with America remained only at the level of mutual sympathy.
In April 1920, Azerbaijan was occupied by the Russian army. From that moment on, all roads between Baku and Washington passed through Moscow. For US diplomats, Azerbaijan was simply “the oil center of the Soviet Union.” During World War II, American military personnel controlled lend-lease shipments transported via the Caspian Sea from Iranian ports.
Diplomatic Relations After Independence
The US recognized Azerbaijan, which restored its independence in 1991, in March 1992. In the same year, the US Embassy opened in Baku. The first ambassador of this country to Azerbaijan was Richard Kauzlarich (1994–1997).
He was followed by Stanley Escudero, Ross Wilson, Anne Derse, Richard Morningstar, and others.
Currently (2025), although the activities of the US Embassy in Azerbaijan revolve around energy, democracy, human rights, and security issues, one line has not changed. The US views Azerbaijan as the energy hub of the region.
Political and Economic Relations
The most difficult point was the notorious and biased Section 907, adopted in 1992. This law prohibited US assistance to Azerbaijan. After 2001, the application of the amendment was suspended, but it was not erased from political memory.
Nevertheless, economic cooperation developed. With the "Contract of the Century" signed in 1994, giants like "ExxonMobil" and "Chevron" came to Baku.
The US played a significant role in the opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline in 2006. To date, the US has invested over 10 billion dollars in Azerbaijan's energy sector.
Azerbaijan is the largest trade partner of the US in the South Caucasus, and the majority of direct foreign investments in the region have been made in Azerbaijan.
In 2023, the trade turnover between the two countries amounted to 1.2 billion dollars. Although cooperation in the non-oil sector is weak, there is great potential.
Cultural and Educational Relations
The image of the US in Azerbaijan is not measured solely by oil. Since the 1990s, hundreds of young people have studied in America through "Fulbright," "Muskie Fellowship," and other programs. From 1993 to 2020, over 6,000 Azerbaijani students studied at US universities.
Even today, over 1,000 young Azerbaijanis continue their education in various cities across America.
Cooperation in the cultural sphere is also vibrant. Jazz musicians' concerts, film festivals, "American Councils" programs, and the US Embassy's "American Corners." "McDonald's" and "Coca-Cola" symbolize the integration of Americans into our daily lives.
Americans in Azerbaijan
During the oil boom in Baku in the 1990s, over 2,000 Americans lived here. Now this number is approximately 700 people. Among them are businessmen, teachers, diplomats, and students.
The Minsk Group and the US Side of Mediation
Since 1992, the US has been represented as a co-chair in the OSCE Minsk Group. James Warlick, Matthew Bryza, Richard Hoagland, and others mediated in the Karabakh issue in their respective capacities.
The Paris and Key West talks in 2001, and the Washington meetings in the 2010s, almost all remained fruitless. After the 44-day war in 2020, the Minsk Group effectively disintegrated. Although the US transferred its mediation role to the European Union, it strives to protect its interests in regional politics.
The Trump Era and the Zangezur Corridor
Recently, the Donald Trump administration has paid special attention to projects in which Azerbaijan is an actor, particularly the issue of the Zangezur corridor.
The trilateral meetings held in Washington and the results achieved are clear proof of what we have stated.
US experts called Zangezur the new "Silk Road." Now, this project is presented as the "Trump Corridor." This is because the corridor opened strategic opportunities for both energy and NATO. However, Azerbaijan also does not forget that during the 2020 war, the US merely limited itself to calls for a ceasefire.
Azerbaijanis' Attitude Towards America
Society's view of America is dual. On one hand, the US is a country of opportunities with education, science, technology, and investment. On the other hand, Section 907 and the Karabakh policy caused dissatisfaction among Azerbaijanis. For young people, the US is still a desirable educational destination. However, the crisis of trust in political circles has recently entered a new phase, a phase of mutual cooperation.
It is no coincidence that the Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan - Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Hikmat Hajiyev, who was on a visit to America the other day, brought to the attention of the officials of the other side the importance of repealing Section 907 in the context of the newly established relations.
Yes, America supports Azerbaijan's independence and territorial integrity, but it views the region primarily through the prism of energy and geopolitics. Azerbaijan, in turn, perceives the US as both a source of opportunity and a source of risk. Although there are sometimes tensions in relations, strategic interests bind them together.
It appears that America, which until recently was somewhat ambiguous and insincere in Azerbaijan, is now interested in mutual relations.
The trilateral meeting of US-Azerbaijan-Armenia leaders held in Washington, and the initialing of a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia there, add positive nuances to America's image in Azerbaijan.
If we were to describe America in Azerbaijan in one sentence, it is a global entity felt in the economy through its investments, in politics through its diplomacy, in education through its programs, and in daily life through its brands, yet one that carries both opportunities and contradictions in its relations.
Undoubtedly, the recent warming in relations, as well as the positive images in Azerbaijan, are also a manifestation of the realities created by the 44-day war in the region and the world.
Modern Analysis and Research Group
