POLITICO has revealed new information regarding Azerbaijan’s lobbying activities in the United States, highlighting attempts by Azerbaijan to circumvent the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which mandates disclosure of foreign influence efforts. Since early 2023, Azerbaijan has worked with the Friedlander Group, paying the firm $41,666 per month to strengthen U.S.-Azerbaijan relations. However, dissatisfaction with the firm’s progress”particularly after the cancellation of high-level meetings with top Biden administration officials during an Azerbaijani official’s recent Washington visit”reportedly led Azerbaijani officials to explore additional lobbying options.
According to the report, Azerbaijan approached at least one other lobbying firm over the past year. Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov informed the firm that the contract would be contingent on the firm avoiding FARA registration, leading the firm to decline further discussions and skip a planned meeting at the Azerbaijani embassy, according to one of the lobbyists involved. A second lobbyist confirmed a similar experience, stating that they were asked to arrange meetings that they believed would have required FARA registration, ultimately leading them to reconsider involvement.
This activity comes at a critical time for Azerbaijan. In September 2023, Azerbaijan launched a brutal military offensive in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), forcibly displacing over 120,000 ethnic Armenians from their homes. This military operation, and ethnic cleansing, has drawn international condemnation. Despite ongoing peace negotiations between Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders, no agreement has yet been reached.
Additionally, in May, U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar (D-TX) was charged with accepting bribes from an Azerbaijani government-owned oil and gas company, allegedly using his congressional influence to benefit Azerbaijan’s interests, though Cuellar denies the charges.
The situation is further compounded as Azerbaijan prepares to host the COP climate summit in its capital, Baku, next month, an event that has brought renewed international attention to its human rights record and diplomatic conduct is more intense than ever.
Azerbaijan’s embassy in Washington issued a statement underscoring its compliance with U.S. legal standards, stating, “We would like to underscore that our respective work is strictly within the U.S. legal framework. In regard to U.S.-Azerbaijan relations, Azerbaijan sees deep value in bilateral relations between the two countries and we continuously engage with U.S. counterparts to advance our relations.” Similarly, Ezra Friedlander, CEO of the Friedlander Group, defended Azerbaijan’s conduct, stating, “In all my interactions, the government of Azerbaijan has adhered to the highest ethical standards regarding FARA and all other issues pertaining to my representation.”
These revelations cast a harsh spotlight on Azerbaijan’s lobbying activities in the U.S. as it navigates rising criticism over human rights abuses, regional aggression, and political maneuvering within the U.S.
