Dear Congressman Abraham Hamadeh
Dear Congressman Abraham Hamadeh,
On behalf of the Azerbaijan Society of America (ASA), we would like to extend our sincere appreciation for your recent visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan and for taking the time to meet with President Ilham Aliyev and other senior government officials.
Your visit was warmly welcomed by the Azerbaijani-American community and serves as a meaningful demonstration of your interest in strengthening the longstanding relationship between the United States and Azerbaijan. It means a great deal to Azerbaijani-Americans to see American leaders engage directly with one of our nation's most important strategic partners in the South Caucasus.
A closer partnership between the United States and Azerbaijan is in America's best interest across multiple fronts, including energy security, regional stability, counterterrorism cooperation, transportation and trade connectivity, and economic growth. Strengthening bilateral ties advances American strategic interests while contributing to a more secure and prosperous region. As global geopolitical challenges continue to evolve, Azerbaijan remains an important partner whose cooperation benefits both our nations.
We would also respectfully ask for your attention to an issue that has affected U.S.-Azerbaijan relations for more than three decades: Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, adopted in 1992.
Many Azerbaijani-Americans believe that Section 907 unfairly singled out Azerbaijan at a time of conflict and created an imbalance in U.S. policy toward the region. From our community's perspective, Azerbaijan's views and concerns were not given equal consideration during the legislative process, and the measure has continued to hinder the full development of U.S.-Azerbaijan relations.
We respectfully urge Congress to consider the complete repeal of Section 907. We believe that removing this outdated provision would better reflect today's geopolitical realities, strengthen America's strategic partnerships, and further U.S. interests by fostering deeper cooperation with Azerbaijan.
As our nation prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, we are reminded that America has long been a beacon of liberty, opportunity, and hope for people from every corner of the world, including Azerbaijani-Americans. We remain deeply grateful to our adopted homeland for the freedoms and opportunities that have allowed our community to prosper while preserving our rich cultural heritage.
