Azerbaijan's foreign policy course, shaped in recent decades, is distinguished by its efforts to ensure regional balance as well as to create a sustainable partnership architecture on the global diplomatic stage. The new political and security realities formed after the Second Karabakh War, which ended the occupation, the redrawing of the transport and transit routes map, and the changes occurring in the centers of power within the international system have further strengthened Baku's flexible, principled, and multi-vector cooperation line.
Numerous documents signed by Azerbaijan between 1997 and 2025 indicate that the country has formed a significant strategic partnership network both in the Eurasian space and within the European Union. The strategic partner countries of our state are as follows:
European direction
Italy, Great Britain, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Albania, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Moldova, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina - The multitude of strategic partnership documents with European countries indicates that Azerbaijan holds a strong political position in the European space in the fields of energy, transport, and security. Today, 16 countries represented in the European Political Community have strategic partnership relations with Azerbaijan.
Political cooperation with Turkic states
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan - Azerbaijan's relations with Turkic states are not limited to the framework of strategic partnership; multi-faceted political coordination is also carried out through the Organization of Turkic States.
Asian direction
China, Pakistan, Vietnam, United Arab Emirates (UAE) - Partnership in these geographies opens broad perspectives for energy, trade, and security issues.
South Caucasus and neighboring region
Georgia, Belarus - Cooperation with these countries is of strategic importance in terms of transport, logistics, and regional security.
Commenting on the matter to Modern.az, Rizvan Nabiyev, a member of the Milli Majlis Committee on International Relations and Interparliamentary Ties and Doctor of Political Sciences, who has worked for a long time in diplomatic service bodies, noted that, as emphasized by President Ilham Aliyev in his speeches on various international platforms, as well as to the domestic audience, Azerbaijan is pursuing a more principled, consistent, and independent foreign policy course after our glorious victory.
“This foreign policy course involves the establishment of friendly, partnership relations based on mutually beneficial cooperation with member states of the United Nations, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, and relations founded on the principle of sovereign equality. With states that are close to us and distinguished by a friendly stance, our relations are elevated to the level of strategic partnership or alliance.”
The deputy noted that between 1997 and 2025, the Republic of Azerbaijan signed strategic partnership documents with 25 states. 10 of these states are members of the European Union. Furthermore, we have strategic partnership relations with all states represented in the Organization of Turkic States.
“Overall, 16 of our strategic partners are represented in the European Political Community. The European Political Community is not an organization; it is a dialogue platform. However, the fact that Azerbaijan has strategic partnership relations with 16 of the states represented there is an indicator of our country's international prestige. Political declarations of a strategic partnership nature have been signed with most states at the level of heads of state. At the same time, the Republic of Azerbaijan has international agreements with several states that involve elevating relations to the level of alliance, in addition to strategic partnership. These are fraternal Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.”
According to the deputy, when our lands were under occupation, the main issue in establishing strategic partnership relations was to ensure unequivocal support for the resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict within the framework of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and internationally recognized borders, particularly based on the 1993 resolutions of the UN Security Council.
“This principled and uncompromising position was determined by National Leader Heydar Aliyev. President Ilham Aliyev also set the assurance of this principled and consistent foreign policy course as a goal for Azerbaijani diplomacy.”
“Naturally, even after our territorial integrity and sovereignty were restored, the occupation of our lands ended, and new political realities were formed in the region, this principle - mutual respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states - remains fundamental.”
“When establishing a strategic partnership, in addition to cooperation in political, economic, and cultural spheres, intensive dialogue and cooperation in defense, defense industry, and security areas are also envisioned. With states where strategic partnerships are established, political consultations and dialogue are usually conducted more intensively at the level of Foreign Ministries, and with states where our relations are at a higher level, at the level of heads of state. This is also carried out with the aim of harmonizing positions and forming similar and identical stances on various regional and international issues,” the Milli Majlis member stated.
Rizvan Nabiyev also emphasized that thanks to the political and diplomatic activities conducted in line with President Ilham Aliyev's strategic vision, our state's position on the international stage has been significantly strengthened, and its prestige has increased manifold.
“Numerous heads of state and government also emphasize this on platforms open to the press, commending President Ilham Aliyev's agenda for peace and cooperation. The summit meetings of the European Political Community, the Middle East Peace Summit, the summits of the Organization of Turkic States, and other international gatherings, as well as the numerous visits undertaken by the head of state on a bilateral level, unequivocally confirm this.”
