Power Games in the Caucasus: Azerbaijan's Foreign and Energy Policy Towards the West, Russia and the Middle East

ISBN-13: 9781848854260 / Angielski / Twarda / 2011 / 328 str.

Nazrin Mehdiyeva

Opis

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 neighbors - 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 hegemony. The book includes a wealth of new sources and extensive interviews with national policymakers and experts.

Spis treści

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