The 10,800 tonnes of U.S. wheat will come from the Food for Progress program, which donates food to encourage free-market reforms overseas. The wheat is worth $1.75 million at current prices.

The Agriculture Department said on Tuesday it would give the wheat to Vishnevskaya-Rostropovich Foundation, a charity.

The foundation will sell the wheat in Azerbaijan "and use the proceeds to strengthen immunization services and advance the national goal of eliminating measles and congenital rubella syndrome," said USDA.

"The proceeds will also be used to modernize the national vaccine storage and distribution system, and automate the vaccination reporting system." Reuters