Azerbaijan frameworks: geopolitical and socio-economic considerations (original) (raw)

Azerbaijan in the 21st Century: An Assessment in the Context of Main Determinants of Domestic and Foreign Policies

THE CHANGING PERSPECTIVES AND 'NEW' GEOPOLITICS OF THE CAUCASUS IN THE 21ST CENTURY, 2021

Azerbaijan, which is the third actor of the Caucasus Region together with Georgia and Armenia, holds a special position with its features that will be expressed throughout the study. Gaining independence with the dissolution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), Azerbaijan has gone through a really challenging and difficult process in the last thirty years. Within the framework of national, regional and international developments, Azerbaijan has been struggling for its existence, development and dignity in the context of consolidating its independence, strengthening its national identity, preserving its territorial integrity, revitalizing its economy and integration with the international community. Under the rule of four presidents and the shadow of the conflict and war with Armenia, Azerbaijan has reached its current status. After it had existed as a socialist republic under the umbrella of the USSR for most of the 20th century, Azerbaijan stepped into a different phase in political, military, economic, social and cultural aspects with its independence in the last part of the century. Especially the increasing geopolitical, geostrategic and geoeconomic importance of the Caucasus and the activities of extra-regional powers have constituted a fundamental determining factor on Azerbaijan’s policies. With the transition to the 21st century, Azerbaijan began to seek right ways to adapting to the process and consolidate its identity within the newly formed conjuncture. Energy resources, the West-East conflict in the region, the Russia-Georgia War, problems with Armenia and the victory in 2020 have been the cornerstones of the experience in the process. In addition to all of these, the main policy determinants of Azerbaijan in the past 20 years have been the Soviet heritage etched in memories, state and national identity building efforts, characteristic attitudes of the presidents and internal groups, presence in a strategic geography also called Trans-Caspian, regional dynamics and the policies of the extra-regional actors, relations developed over energy resources and of course the recapturing of its occupied lands.

Azerbaijan – a growing problem for the West

Azerbaijan’s cooperation with the West, launched two decades ago, has helped it become a relatively strong and ambitious actor on the international stage. It has become a key country in the region from the Western (USA and the EU) and Turkish points of view, as well as an important partner in the energy sector. The strategic EU concept of the Southern Gas Corridor, also supported by the United States, is among the initiatives based on cooperation with Azerbaijan. Surprisingly, however, Azerbaijan’s increased ambition and importance have caused its policy to diverge ever farther from the expectations and plans formulated by the West. The changes in the balance of power in the South Caucasus, occurring in the context of the conflict in Ukraine, have forced Azerbaijan to revise its assessment of its position in the region. The main impetus for Azerbaijan’s actions is fear of Russia, as well as the weakness of the West which has become particularly apparent in the recent stages of the Ukrainian crisis. Azerbaijan’s actions so far have displayed its tendency to deepen its self-isolation in foreign affairs and consolidate its authoritarian system. This comes as a challenge to the West, whose ability to shape its relations with Azerbaijan has weakened considerably. This state of affairs poses the threat that in the current situation, the Southern Gas Corridor concept, which Azerbaijan amended in 2012 in its own favour, might become totally blocked.

Khalilzada Javadbay 2019 Modernization and Social Change in Azerbaijan New Middle Eastern Studies20200219 110066 gxmezb

New Middle East Studies, 2019

The socialist development model of the Soviet Union has attracted much scholarly attention over the years, but the modernization experiences of singular post-Soviet countries (e.g. Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Turkmenistan) are rarely discussed. This may be because these countries have only recently gained their independence in the early 1990s and that perhaps most observers are still unsure about their trajectories. This study aims to contribute to the literature by examining the case of Azerbaijan in light of various influential theories of modernity (i.e. the classical modernization theory, neomodernization theory and multiple modernities paradigm). Azerbaijan"s modernization process has been characterized by fluctuations, reversals and various external influences over the years. The country first emerged as an independent political entity in 1918 and attempted to follow a systematic cultural Westernization and secularization program. Yet it was occupied by the Bolshevik Red Army in 1920 and annexed into the newly formed Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)being forced to conform to the top-down socialist development model directed by Moscow for many decades. Since gaining its independence once again after the disintegration of the USSR in 1991, Azerbaijan has operated as a secularist country, faltering to democratize and trying to integrate to the global economic system as an energy-producing (i.e. oil and natural gas) rentier economy. While Azerbaijan has sought to become part of the so-called "Western civilization" via building close ties with Turkey, US, Israel, NATO and the EU, the ruling elites in Baku have resisted any calls for democratic reformnot unlike the rentier economies of the Middle East such as Iran and Saudi Arabia. This article will argue that the complex development track of Azerbaijan provides an appropriate case to challenge the hypotheses of the classical modernization and neo-modernization theories, while supporting those of the multiple modernities paradigm.

Azerbaijan Since Independence Book - Policy of Azerbaijan till today

Since Independence Svante e. Cornell Azerbaijan Since Independence offers a comprehensive introduction to modern Azerbaijan, a post-Soviet republic located on the western shore of the Caspian Sea. This small country has outsized importance due to its strategic location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, its energy wealth, and its historical experience as an early modernizer in the Muslim world.