Azerbaijan's flexible diplomacy

Baku adopts multivectoral foreign policy

Situated in the center of a strategically-important, oil-rich region, Azerbaijan has to resort to flexible diplomacy. Baku has adopted a multivectoral foreign policy that is based on the country's national interests, but still allows it to cooperate with all world superpowers.

With the help of this approach Azerbaijan has managed to maintain good relations with Russia, that are now considered 'a strategic partnership' by both countries.

At the same time, Azerbaijan has good relations with Georgia. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has always praised Azerbaijani-Georgian bilateral ties that include economic cooperation, mutual investment and energy projects.

Azerbaijani-Iranian relations are much more complicated. Azerbaijan is not going to worsen bilateral relations, so it announced that its territory would never be used for an anti-Iranian strike, but still the country is worried about the Iranian-Armenian partnership. In its turn, Iran is not happy about developing Azerbaijani-Israeli ties. The situation is worsened by the fact that Eastern Azerbaijan is a part of the Islamic Republic. Baku has no claims on the region, but Iran still believes the idea of Eastern Azerbaijan's independence is a threat to its national security.

Turkey is Azerbaijan's major ally in the region. The two countries succesfully cooperate in various spheres, including the economy, politics and defense. In 2010 the parties signed a document that established a strategic partnership between the two states. According to the document. the countries are expected to help one another in case of foreign military aggression. Azerbaijan also hopes Turkey will contribute to the development of its cooperation with the EU.

The European Union and the USA are paying more and more attention to the country. Azerbaijan itself demonstrates that its ready to take a more pro-Western stance. The reason is that the country wants to solve its problems with the help of powerful allies. These problems do not only include the Karabakh conflict. Azerbaijan is interested in the European oil and gas market, it's looking forward to prolonged cooperation with the EU in the sphere of energy.

That is why experts believe that Azerbaijan is going to improve its relations with Western powers, but it doesn't mean that the country is ready to spoil its relations with Russia. On the contrary, Azerbaijan is doing its best to preserve its flexible foreign policy.

By Orkhan Satarov, the head of the VK European office.