An interview with Prof. Mohammed Ayoob ...

Since recovering its independence in 1991, Azerbaijan has faced two enormous tasks: strengthening its independent statehood and responding to Armenian aggression.  It has succeeded beyond the expectations of many with regard to the first, and although it was not able to prevent Armenia from occupying 20 percent of its territory as a result of the support Yerevan received from third parties, Baku has achieved signal successes on the diplomatic front beginning with the UN Security Council resolutions of 1993 affirming its territorial integrity and at the OSCE Lisbon Summit which, than...

Azerbaijan occupies a unique position in its relations with the Middle East: It is the only country in the world that maintains good relations with all the countries of the region, despite the tensions and conflicts among them and the demands of each that all outside powers take sides.  On the one hand, this regional manifestation of Baku’s commitment to a balanced foreign policy sometimes creates difficulties for some governments in the region and even for itself.  But on the other, it gives Azerbaijan a remarkable opportunity to serve as an intermediary and honest broker fa...