AZERBAIJAN’S BALANCED FOREIGN POLICY TRAPPED IN A VOLATILE GEOPOLITICAL CONTEXT
Journal Title: Europolity - Continuity and Change in European Governance - Year 2016, Vol 10, Issue 1
Abstract
Following a study visit in Baku, the author exposes in this paper some of the research results, being also embedded the opinions of Azerbaijanis experts that were interviewed. The aim is to perform an analysis on the evolution of Azerbaijani state interpreted both from the European and Azerbaijani perspective. On the one hand, it is approached the development of the Republic of Azerbaijan after the collapse of Soviet Union and the way the Nagorno-Karabakh unsolved conflict has influenced Azerbaijan’s foreign policy. On the other hand, it is researched the manner in which the European Union – Azerbaijan relations have evolved since 1991, but especially once the Eastern Partnership has been created. Considering the fundamental purpose of the European Neighborhood Union, to ensure security, stability and prosperity in the EU’s vicinity, it is analyzed the impact of two multilateral platforms within the Eastern Partnership (Democracy, good governance and stability, and Energy security) was achieved on the Republic of Azerbaijan. At the same time, it is investigated whether the European Union should accept an authoritarian leadership, as a legitimate actor and partner on the international stage just because the EU has a strategic interest to diversify its energy sources and, eventually, reduce the dependence on Russian Federation, or it should change its approach and adopt a firmer stance. Last but not least, are revealed the geopolitical frictions in the South Caucasus region and the reasons for which Azerbaijan tries to maintain its status as a sovereign and independent country, avoiding to ally with any geopolitical bloc, but opting for economic, energy and military cooperation with both sides.
Authors and Affiliations
Sabina STRÎMBOVSCHI
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP197428
- DOI -
- Views 137
- Downloads 0
ECONOMIC CHALLENGES FOR EUROPEAN DEFENCE
The issue of a common European Union (EU) defence is on the frontline of political and media discussions, in light of the recent evolutions in the security and defence environment. The main challenge in this respect is r...
BOOK REVIEW Valentin Naumescu and Dan Dungaciu (editors). 2015. The European Union’s Eastern Neighbourhood Today: Politics, Dynamics, Perspectives. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. 365 pages. ISBN (10): 1-4438-7191-5
BOOK REVIEW Valentin Naumescu and Dan Dungaciu (editors). 2015. The European Union’s Eastern Neighbourhood Today: Politics, Dynamics, Perspectives. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. 365 pages. ISBN (10)...
IMMIGRATION AND RACIAL INEQUALITY. THE ITALIAN CASE
The aim of the article is to show how in Italy the traditional inequalities in class, gender and geography have been matched by an inequality linked to immigration, whose causes, forms and social consequences I will anal...
SECURITIZING TOOLS AND THEIR SOCIETAL EFFECTS: PERCEPTIONS OF RISKS AND THREATS TO NATIONAL SECURITY IN ROMANIA
This article investigates the acceptance of securitizing narratives by different professional and age-based audiences in Romania. Through analysing the results of a q-sort questionnaire created and administered by the Na...
THE SOLIDARITY CLAUSE IN THE EUROPEAN UNION TREATY AS A HUMAN SECURITY VECTOR. A FAREWELL TO TERRORISM OR LEGITIMIZATION OF INFERENCE IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS?
The draft European Constitution crafted in the interval between the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in New York and those taken place in Moscow, Madrid, was concluded shortly before the attacks on public transportation in Lond...