Situating the ‘Balanced Foreign Policy’: The Role of System Structure in Azerbaijan's Multi-Vector Diplomacy

Abstract

The foreign policy of Azerbaijan is often regarded as a product of East–West competition or geopolitical pressures exerted by regional powers. The present study instead examines how Azerbaijani decision-makers evaluate their situation within the structure of the international system. It applies the theory of power preponderance to analyse the record of bilateral diplomatic instruments concluded with the USA, Russian Federation, Turkey, Iran and European Union from 1991 to 2011. The results indicate that while Baku has interacted with Russia more than any other major power, this has produced the fewest agreements on high-salience issues. At the same time, its intimate relationship with Turkey has been based more upon military aid than political cooperation and institution-building. Further, it maintains a roughly equal level of security and economic cooperation with the USA and Iran, thus remaining neutral between the global preponderant power and its primary rival. Finally, Azerbaijan's interaction with the European Union remains in its early stages, as it continues a traditional strategy of engagement with major powers over institutions.