The dissolution of the Soviet Union into independent states was among the most momentous political phenomena of the twentieth century. This book provides the first comprehensive study of Azerbaijan's post-independence foreign policy in relation to its much stronger neighbours - Russia, Turkey and Iran - and the role that the West brought to bear in helping Azerbaijan to counterbalance the influence of Russia. Complex and subtle diplomatic negotiations enabled the exploitation of Azerbaijan's substantial oil and gas resources and the implementation of transit projects that Azerbaijan's leadership considered critical - the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline bypassing Russia being one example. The case of Azerbaijan demonstrates how in the post-Cold War order a small state has been able to advance its interests internationally even when they contradicted those of the hegemon. The book includes a wealth of new sources and extensive interviews with national policymakers and experts.

Auteur

Nazrin Mehdiyeva is a Foreign Policy and Energy Consultant. She holds a DPhil from Oxford University.

Contenu

Chapter 1: A small state in great power politics: The Case of Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan in Great Power Politics
Strategies of small states: bandwagoning or balancing?
A psychological approach to foreign policy analysis

Chapter 2: The Making of Azerbaijani Foreign Policy: Images, institutions and personalities
Organisational context: structure and process
The individual decision-maker: Elchibey vs. Aliyev
Occasion for decision: maximising presidential power

Chapter 3: Non-bandwagoning with Russia: The Military Dimension
Phases in Azerbaijani Foreign Policy towards Russia
Threat Perception and Policy Formulation
Perceptions, Troop Withdrawal and Policy of 'Non-bandwagoning'
Policy Evolution and Aliyev's strategic manoeuvring

Chapter 4: Non-bandwagoning with Russia: Oil and the Caspian
Building Alliances from within: The Role of Multinationals in Azerbaijan's Foreign Policy
Fighting Back: Commitment, Alternatives and Control
Azerbaijan's Caspian Strategy

Chapter 5: The Evolution of Azerbaijan's Policy towards Turkey: Hopes vs. Action
Factors in the Foreign Policy of the Popular Front
Strategic Friendship and Pipeline Diplomacy under Aliyev

Chapter 6: The Western Dimension of Azerbaijan's Strategy: Balancing with the United States?
Early Relations with the West
Oil, Pipelines and Aliyev's West European Diplomacy
NATO and Azerbaijan's Security Diplomacy

Chapter 7: Conclusions: A Model of Sustainable Policy
Strategic Manoeuvring and its Conditionality
Foreign Policy in the New Era: The Energy Boom and Beyond