Sergey Mikheyev, Director General of the Institute for Caspian Cooperation, said that Azerbaijan had a unique post-Soviet situation, where the elite is very consolidated and the opposition is exceptionally weak. The population shows serious support for the authorities due to the money spent on the development of the country.
Azerbaijan fits in the Southern Energy Corridor lobbied by the US to transport Caspian oil and gas to the West.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Baku before the elections was an expression of support for Ilham Aliyev. Mikheyev believes that Putin and Aliyev want to strengthen balance. The expert is confident that Russia helped stabilize the elections.
Concerning Iran, Mikheyev said that it was neutral and new President Hassan Rouhani was trying to show flexibility. He predicts that Iran will demonstrate the same attitude towards Azerbaijan.
