Azerbaijan’s Foreign Policy Amid Regional Geopolitical Reshuffling: Disconnection with the West?

Introduction Eurasia is passing through a remarkably transformative period against the background of intensifying geopolitical confrontation between the major powers. The South Caucasus is not an exception. The present geopolitical dynamics and power balance in this region are today rather different from those that existed just a couple of years ago. These developments shape the…

Read more

Azerbaijan-Georgia partnership plays a pivotal role in the EU’s ties with the South Caucasus and Central Asia

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and President Donald J. Trump have already altered the geopolitical landscape in Europe. European countries are seeking deeper strategic partnerships with South Caucasus and Central Asian nations to diversify energy sources and foster regional cooperation and connectivity. In 2022, Azerbaijan and the EU signed a “Memorandum of Understanding on a Strategic…

Read more

Opinion: How to Take the Most from the Present De-Facto Peace Period in Armenia-Azerbaijan Relations

The Antalya Diplomacy Forum, held on April 11-13 in the resort Turkish town of Antalya, presented a rare opportunity for trilateral engagement among the foreign ministers of the three South Caucasian countries. The candid exchange between Azerbaijan’s Jeyhun Bayramov, Armenia’s Ararat Mirzoyan, and Georgia’s Maka Bochorishvili, facilitated by Türkiye, offered a fragile yet meaningful sign…

Read more

On-going alterations in the Special Relationship – bound for strategic divergence?

The Labour party’s return to power in July 2024 was accompanied with a lot of uncertainty, with Keir Starmer and his team adopting a deliberately ambiguous campaign strategy to present itself as the candidate of common sense and pragmatism in contrast to the instability that characterized the final years of Conservative rule. This extended to…

Read more

EU and Central Asia: the significance of the Samarkand summit for Azerbaijan

The author began by highlighting the holding of the EU-Central Asia summit on April 3-4, 2025, in the Uzbek city of Samarkand. The summit marked the beginning of a new strategic partnership between the sides, with the summit focusing on cooperation in the spheres of trade, transport, energy, digital communications and the management of water resources….

Read more

Azerbaijan Seeks Trilateral Partnership with Israel and U.S.

As global political tensions intensify, the previously blurred lines of state alignments are becoming clearer. In the South Caucasus and the broader Middle East, this is observed in the emergence of new alliances and the strengthening of existing ones, with far-reaching implications for regional stability and international relations. While Georgia remains in geopolitical limbo due…

Read more

Germany eyes deepening bilateral ties with Azerbaijan

The ongoing geopolitical turmoil in Europe has reshaped traditional security dynamics in the region. Following the Trump administration’s economic and security policies toward the European Union (EU), EU member states have had to rethink their global strategies and regional engagements, writes Shahmar Hajiyev, head of department at the Center of Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center)….

Read more

Growing Footprint of the Turkish Capital in China

Economic relations between Türkiye and China have expanded considerably over the past three decades, evolving beyond trade to encompass mutual investment. While Chinese investments in Türkiye have typically drawn more attention, Turkish capital flowing into China has also steadily increased. Although Turkish investments remain less diversified and extensive than their Chinese counterparts, several Turkish companies…

Read more

Breaking the Gordian Knot: The path to sustainable peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia

More than 30 years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, new prospects for lasting peace and security have finally arisen in the South Caucasus. Until now, the region had been entangled in a Gordian knot that adversely affected its security landscape and development, serving as an asset in the geopolitical maneuvers of regional and…

Read more

Strengthening Caucasus: Azerbaijan-Türkiye alliance in a changing world

One of the most pressing issues on the agenda of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Türkiye on March 5-6, 2025, was the position of the two allies about shifting the global and regional balance of power. Aliyev’s visit to Ankara coincided with a period that included U.S.-Russia rapprochement, which began with Donald Trump becoming…

Read more