Integration into the European and Euro-Atlantic institutions has been at the top of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy agenda ever since our country re-gained its independence and state sovereignty in early 1990s.  Azerbaijan views the European Union as a good model of a successful development in political, economic, social and humanitarian fields.  The cooperation with the EU and its institutions is not an end in itself, but rather means to raise the living standards for the citizens of Azerbaijan, develop the economy, improve public administration and judiciary, and, in the words ...

Azerbaijan has sought to integrate itself into European structures since the recovery of its independence in 1991.  Consequently, Baku has always been interested in EU efforts to reach out to countries to the east of the Union in the hopes that such efforts will ultimately lead to EU membership for Azerbaijan.  Given that history, Azerbaijan is extremely interested in the possibilities the new EU Eastern Partnership offers, but Baku has many questions about the meaning of this new program. Announced at the end of 2008, the Eastern Partnership has been declared to be a further s...

Gazprom and SOCAR signed an agreement on June 29 under the terms of which the Russian company will purchase 500 million cubic meters of gas from Azerbaijan next year.  That gas will then pass through Russian territory rather than flow through one of the various pipelines projected to bypass Russia.  And consequently it was no surprise that visiting Russian President Dmitry Medvedev described the deal as “a milestone” in Moscow’s efforts to prevent Europe from diversifying its gas suppliers.  And while it is certainly that at least in the short term, the accord and th...