Baku: A notification has been officially sent to the US, stating that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) lacks a legal basis for its activities in Azerbaijan and must cease operations. This was conveyed by Aykhan Hajizada, the press secretary of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, in response to an inquiry from APA.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov announced at a joint press conference with Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili that from June 1, 2024, there will be no legal grounds for USAID to operate in Azerbaijan. Bayramov emphasized that there is no justification for USAID’s presence in the country, and it is time to terminate its activities completely.

Following the election of Donald Trump as US President, decisions were made to restrict the functions of USAID. Reports indicate that the agency’s website has ceased operations, signs have been removed from its headquarters in Washington, and its account on “X” has been deactivated. Additionally, President Trump, who has expressed criticism of USAID’s activities, plans to integrate the agency with the State Department and reduce its staff, a move he will announce in the coming days.