The signing of the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership between Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is being assessed as the start of a new stage in Baku-London relations. The document, signed in Dublin on November 12 in the presence of President Ilham Aliyev and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, provides for the expansion of cooperation in defence and security, trade and investment, energy, transport, education and innovation.
In particular, the fact that the United Kingdom is one of Europe’s leading political and economic powers and at the same time one of the largest foreign investors in Azerbaijan’s energy sector further enhances the geopolitical and economic significance of this document. The new declaration creates the basis for cooperation between the two countries to cover broader areas, for the deepening of political dialogue and for the development of relations based on mutual interests.
The question is, what advantages will the signing of this declaration bring to Azerbaijan’s international positions and regional policy? What new opportunities could the elevation of Baku-London relations to the level of strategic partnership create in the South Caucasus and in the wider geopolitical space? With which countries has Azerbaijan signed joint declarations on strategic partnership so far, and where does the agreement reached with the United Kingdom stand among those documents?
Speaking to Globalinfo.az, political analyst Zeynal Amraliyev said that the strategic partnership document signed between Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom is important in many respects:
“One of the main directions that stands out in the document is the expansion of cooperation in the field of defence and security. The United Kingdom is one of the world’s leading countries in this area. Support from this state to Azerbaijan in the defence and security sphere is of very serious significance. Let us bear in mind that we are talking about one of the leading states of the West. The United Kingdom is one of Europe’s main centres of political and economic power. Expanding cooperation with this country is also important from the point of view of Azerbaijan’s geostrategic position.
At the same time, broad prospects for cooperation also exist in the financial and economic spheres. These areas are also reflected in the declaration. Undoubtedly, the document creates important opportunities for the UK financial sector to invest more actively in Azerbaijan’s economy. London is one of the world’s main financial centres. In this regard, the elevation of relations with Britain to the level of strategic partnership could also contribute to the expansion of Azerbaijan’s international investment opportunities.
Another important point is Azerbaijan’s pursuit of a multi-vector approach in its foreign policy. The signing of such a document with the United Kingdom once again demonstrates that our country builds relations based on mutual interests with various power centres. Azerbaijan pursues an independent line in its foreign policy and expands its partnerships in various directions.
This is also one of the indicators of Azerbaijan’s leading position in the South Caucasus. The formalisation of strategic partnership relations with the United Kingdom is important for the further diversification of our country’s international political and economic ties. Along with strengthening Azerbaijan’s role in regional processes, this also creates conditions for the development of cooperation with international partners in new areas.
Thus, the start of a new stage in Azerbaijan-UK relations is not limited to the expansion of bilateral ties. This cooperation promises significant prospects for the diversification of Azerbaijan’s international economic relations, the enhancement of its investment attractiveness and the consolidation of its position in regional geopolitical processes.”
Turan Rzayev
Globalinfo.az
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