AZERBAIJANI AMBASSADOR TO US YASHAR ALIYEV: "SECTION 907 HAS NOT BEEN RESTORED" – INTERVIEW

APA
June 25 2009
Azerbaijan

Washington. Zaur Hasanov – APA. Azerbaijani ambassador to US Yashar
Aliyev’s interview to APA’s US bureau

-Some media outlets report quoting the Armenian sources that the House
Committee of Appropriations passed a decision to restore Section 907
to the "Freedom Support Act". What can you say about it?

-I will give a concrete answer: the information is not true.

-But Armenians claim that this "decision" has been passed, because
Azerbaijan violated ceasefire on the line of contact…

-Let me cite the text of the draft budget of the Committee on
Appropriations. It says: "The Committee on Appropriations supports the
"Minsk process" serving the peaceful solution to the conflict and the
efforts of the Department of State towards the acceleration of the
process of negotiations. The committee considers that both parties
should refrain from threats, incitement to the use of force, or other
inflammatory rhetoric. So, the committee does not make any remarks
or express wish to Azerbaijan in its document, but recommends both
parties of the conflict to be patient. It shows that these reports
are not true.

– What does the budget project approved by the Committee on
Appropriations say about the section?

– There should be an exact report based on the facts. Section 907
was adopted in 1992. There were some extenuating amendments to the
section until 2001. The Congress authorized the US President in 2001,
after the September 11 events, to suspend the validity of the section,
which considers not suspension of Section 907 for altogether, but
freezing it annually. It means that Section 907 was not lifted and
it exists as a law. The US President has suspended it every year
since 2002. According to the US procedures, the Congress makes
the final decision about the budget expenditures and every year
Section 907 comes to the agenda during the budget discussions. I
would like to bring a quotation from the Committee on Appropriations
about the "Minsk process" to your attention. The draft document says:
"Considering the authorities the Congress gives to the President within
the Appropriation Act 2002 and its implementation since that year, the
Committee recommends to the State Department to hold consultations with
the Committee on Appropriations to implement all terms of suspension
completely before its implementation in 2010". It shows clearly how
the real situation is.

-Does it mean the end of misunderstandings?

– I have to notice that the discussion and approval of the US
law on appropriations is a long and multiphase process. The House
of Representatives should discuss the draft law and it has to be
discussed at the Senate subcommittees as well. The final document
must be adopted by the end of year. We are always keeping this issue
in the focus of attention.