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Azerbaijan and the EU:Prospects for Partnership Beyond Energy

Summary/Abstract: Azerbaijan, which until recently has been a key EU partner in the Caucasus, now adopts increasingly anti-Western rhetoric in line with Russia’s criticism of the West. The government in Baku may calculate that getting closer to resurgent Russia is a way to enhance its regional security and even to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. However, Russia cannot replace the EU as Azerbaijan’s main economic partner, and the alternative to cooperation with the West would be self-isolation. Development of EUAzerbaijan cooperation is a must for Baku and a regional priority for Brussels, no matter how tough their current relations are. However, the launch of the EU’s strategic partnership for modernisation with Azerbaijan must be dependent upon ceasing repression of civil society by authorities in Baku and the start of serious reforms.

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