Azerbaijan Cuts Ties with USAID Amid Political Accusations

Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov announced the halt of the agreement with USAID, accusing it of pursuing a political agenda. The decision followed criticisms from USAID's head, Samantha Power, concerning Azerbaijan's military actions in Nagorno-Karabakh. Similar actions against USAID have been observed in Russia and Abkhazia.

Azerbaijan has ceased its cooperation with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the country's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov declared. The decision, announced at a news conference alongside his Georgian counterpart, accuses Washington of leveraging USAID for political ends, marking a significant diplomatic move by Baku.

This development comes after Azerbaijan repeatedly criticized USAID since late 2023. The organization's head, Samantha Power, stated that Azerbaijan's military moves in Nagorno-Karabakh forced over 100,000 residents to flee their homes for Armenia, which Azerbaijan took exception to.

Hikmet Hajiyev, the foreign policy adviser to President Ilham Aliyev, responded sharply to Power's remarks, suggesting that USAID no longer has a role in Azerbaijan. This mirrors actions taken by other countries in the region, including Russia stopping USAID activities in 2012, and Abkhazia withdrawing in 2023.

(With inputs from agencies.)