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Antisemitism | 21st-century Arab antisemitism | 21st-century Arab antisemitism
thumb|upright=1.25|Graffiti of a swastika on a building in the Palestinian city of Nablus, 2022
thumb|A boy holding a paper stating "we are the killers of the Jews" in the mourning ceremony for Qasem Soleimani at Mosalla of Tehran, 6 January 2020
Robert Bernstein, founder of Human Rights Watch, says that antisemitism is "deeply ingrained and institutionalized" in "Arab nations in modern times".
In a 2011 survey by the Pew Research Center, all of the Muslim-majority Middle Eastern countries polled held significantly negative opinions of Jews. In the questionnaire, only 2% of Egyptians, 3% of Lebanese Muslims, and 2% of Jordanians reported having a positive view of Jews. Muslim-majority countries outside the Middle East similarly held markedly negative views of Jews, with 4% of Turks and 9% of Indonesians viewing Jews favorably.
According to a 2011 exhibition at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, United States, some of the dialogue from Middle East media and commentators about Jews bear a striking resemblance to Nazi propaganda. According to Josef Joffe of Newsweek, "anti-Semitism—the real stuff, not just bad-mouthing particular Israeli policies—is as much part of Arab life today as the hijab or the hookah. Whereas this darkest of creeds is no longer tolerated in polite society in the West, in the Arab world, Jew hatred remains culturally endemic."
Muslim clerics in the Middle East have frequently referred to Jews as descendants of apes and pigs, which are conventional epithets for Jews and Christians.
According to professor Robert Wistrich, director of the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism (SICSA), the calls for the destruction of Israel by Iran or by Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, or the Muslim Brotherhood, represent a contemporary mode of genocidal antisemitism. |
Antisemitism | 21st-century antisemitism at universities | 21st-century antisemitism at universities
After the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October, antisemitism and anti-Jewish hate crimes around the world increased significantly. Multiple universities and university officials have been accused of systemic antisemitism. On 1 May 2024, the United States House of Representatives voted 320–91 in favour of adopting a bill enshrining the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism into law. The bill was opposed by some who claimed it conflated criticism of Israel with antisemitism, while Jewish advocacy groups like the American Jewish Committee and World Jewish Congress generally supported it in response to the increase in antisemitic incidents on university campuses. An open letter by 1,200 Jewish professors opposed the proposal. |
Antisemitism | Black Hebrew Israelite antisemitism | Black Hebrew Israelite antisemitism
thumb|upright=1.25|4% of African-Americans self-identified as Black Hebrew Israelites in 2019. Between 2019 and 2022, individuals motivated by Black Hebrew Israelitism committed five religiously motivated murders.
Extremist groups of Black Hebrew Israelites believe that Jewish people are "imposters", who have "stolen" Black Americans' true racial and religious identity. Some of these groups also promote the unsupported Khazar hypothesis of Ashkenazi ancestry. In 2022, the American Jewish Committee stated that the Black Hebrew Israelite claim that "we are the real Jews" is a "troubling anti-Semitic trope with dangerous potential".
The perpetrators of several antisemitic attacks in the United States have expressed interest in the Black Hebrew Israelites. Between 2019 and 2022, individuals motivated by Black Hebrew Israelitism committed five religiously motivated murders. In September 2022, the Program on Extremism at George Washington University published a report which said the largest threat came from "individuals loosely affiliated with or inspired by the movement", rather than from formal members of Black Hebrew Israelite organizations.Contemporary Violent Extremism and the Black Hebrew Israelite Movement. Program on Extremism. George Washington University. September 2022. https://extremism.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs5746/files/ContemporaryViolentExtremism-BlackHebrewIsraeliteMovement090722.pdf |
Antisemitism | Antisemitism on the internet | Antisemitism on the internet
Antisemitism on the internet involves a complex interplay between social media dynamics, conspiracy theories, and the broader socio-political context. Social media platforms have proved fertile for breeding antisemitic rhetoric, particularly during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, during which a notable rise in antisemitic conspiracy theories emerged. The role of social media in amplifying these sentiments is underscored by analyses of comment sections on major media outlets, which reveal a significant presence of antisemitic discourse, often framed within the context of political events and international relations. Furthermore, the emergence of TikTok as a new platform has raised concerns about the proliferation of antisemitic content, with studies highlighting the challenges of moderating such material effectively. The intersection of antisemitism with broader themes of populism and right-wing extremism is also evident, as these ideologies often utilize antisemitic narratives to galvanize support and create a sense of otherness. Additionally, the phenomenon of subtle hate speech has been identified, where antisemitic sentiments are recontextualized in ways that may evade direct detection yet still perpetuate harmful stereotypes. Antisemitic bias appears even in ostensibly neutral sources such as on the Wikipedia platform. Overall, the digital landscape presents both challenges and opportunities for combating antisemitism, necessitating a multifaceted approach that includes community engagement and technological solutions to monitor and counteract hate speech effectively. |
Antisemitism | Causes | Causes
Antisemitism has been explained in terms of racism, xenophobia, projected guilt, displaced aggression, conspiracy theory, and the search for a scapegoat.
Antisemitism scholar Lars Fischer writes that "scholars distinguish between theories that assume an actual causal (rather than merely coincidental) correlation between what (some) Jews do and antisemitic perceptions (correspondence theories), on the one hand, and those predicated on the notion that no such causal correlation exists and that 'the Jews' serve as a foil for the projection of antisemitic assumptions, on the other." The latter position is exemplified by Theodor W. Adorno, who wrote that "Anti-Semitism is the rumour about the Jews"; in other words, "a conspiratorial mentality that sees Jewish people as invisible and yet ubiquitous, as capable of pulling the strings of power from behind the scenes."
As an example of the correspondence theory, an 1894 book by Bernard Lazare questions whether Jews themselves were to blame for some antisemitic stereotypes, for instance arguing that Jews traditionally keeping strictly to their own communities, with their own practices and laws, led to a perception of Jews as anti-social; he later abandoned this belief and the book is considered antisemitic today. As another example, Walter Laqueur suggested that the antisemitic perception of Jewish people as greedy (as often used in stereotypes of Jews) probably evolved in Europe during medieval times where a large portion of money lending was operated by Jews. Among factors thought to contribute to this situation include that Jews were restricted from other professions, while the Christian Church declared for their followers that money lending constituted immoral "usury", although recent scholarship, such as that of historian Julie Mell shows that Jews were not overrepresented in the sector and that the stereotype was founded in Christian projection of taboo behaviour on to the minority.
In Anti-Judaism: The Western Tradition (2013), historian David Nirenberg traces the history of antisemitism, arguing that antisemitism should be understood not as a product of isolated historical events or cultural biases but is instead embedded within the very fabric of Western thought and society. Its foundation lies in the early claim of Jewish deicide and depictions of Jews as 'Christ-killers'. Throughout Western history, Jews have since been used as a symbolic 'other' to define and articulate the values and boundaries of various cultures and intellectual traditions. In philosophy, literature, and politics, Jewishness has often been constructed as a counterpoint to what is considered normative or ideal. One of the key insights from Nirenberg's work is that antisemitism has proven to be remarkably adaptable. It changes form and adapts to different contexts and times, whether in medieval religious disputes, Enlightenment critiques, or modern racial theories. Philosophers and intellectuals have often used 'Jewishness' as a foil to explore and define their ideas. For instance, in the Enlightenment, figures like Voltaire critiqued Judaism as backward and superstitious to promote their visions of reason and progress. Similarly, the Soviet Union frequently portrayed Judaism as linked with capitalism and mercantilism, standing in opposition to the ideals of proletarian solidarity and communism. In each case, Judaism or the Jews are portrayed as standing in tension with prevailing moral norms.
Author and scholar Dara Horn published an article in The Atlantic reflecting on her previous published doubts about the effectiveness of Holocaust education pedagogy and the rising antisemitism in the wake of the October 7th Massacre in Israel by Palestinians. In it, Horn argues that antisemitism functions by appropriating what has happened to Jews and recasting their experience as part of a broader, universal struggle, which always ends in ultimately redefining Jewish identity as incompatible with these ideals. She concludes that the attacks on Jews, often under the guise of anti-Zionism, follow the same ancient pattern of marginalization and vilification.This is the permission structure for anti-Semitism: claim whatever has happened to the Jews as one's own experience, announce a "universal" ideal that all good people must accept, and then redefine Jewish collective identity as lying beyond it. Hating Jews thus becomes a demonstration of righteousness. The key is to define, and redefine, and redefine again, the shiny new moral reasoning for why the Jews have failed the universal test of humanity. |
Antisemitism | Prevention through education | Prevention through education
Education plays an important role in addressing and overcoming prejudice and countering social discrimination. However, education is not only about challenging the conditions of intolerance and ignorance in which antisemitism manifests itself; it is also about building a sense of global citizenship and solidarity, respect for, and enjoyment of diversity and the ability to live peacefully together as active, democratic citizens. Education equips learners with the knowledge to identify antisemitism and biased or prejudiced messages and raises awareness about the forms, manifestations, and impact of antisemitism faced by Jews and Jewish communities.
Some Jewish writers have argued that public education about antisemitism through the prism of the Holocaust is unhelpful at best or actively deepening antisemitism at worst. Dara Horn wrote in The Atlantic that "Auschwitz is not a metaphor", arguing "That the Holocaust drives home the importance of love is an idea, like the idea that Holocaust education prevents anti-Semitism, that seems entirely unobjectionable. It is entirely objectionable. The Holocaust didn't happen because of a lack of love. It happened because entire societies abdicated responsibility for their own problems, and instead blamed them on the people who represented—have always represented, since they first introduced the idea of commandedness to the world—the thing they were most afraid of: responsibility."
Instead, she argues that perhaps "a more effective way to address anti-Semitism might lie in cultivating a completely different quality, one that happens to be the key to education itself: curiosity. Why use Jews as a means to teach people that we're all the same, when the demand that Jews be just like their neighbors is exactly what embedded the mental virus of anti-Semitism in the Western mind in the first place? Why not instead encourage inquiry about the diversity, to borrow a de rigueur word, of the human experience?" |
Antisemitism | Geographical variation | Geographical variation
A March 2008 report by the U.S. State Department found that there was an increase in antisemitism across the world, and that both old and new expressions of antisemitism persist. A 2012 report by the U.S. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor also noted a continued global increase in antisemitism, and found that Holocaust denial and opposition to Israeli policy at times was used to promote or justify blatant antisemitism. In 2014, the Anti-Defamation League conducted a study titled ADL Global 100: An Index of Anti-Semitism, which also reported high antisemitism figures around the world and, among other findings, that as many as "27% of people who have never met a Jew nevertheless harbor strong prejudices against him".
In August 2024, the Israeli Ministry of the Diaspora announced a new antisemitism monitoring project. The goal of the project is to measure levels of antisemitism in various countries, as well as identify instigators and trends. In the event that antisemitism in a given country gets bad, the Israeli government may reach out to the local government to try to rectify the situation. |
Antisemitism | ''Antisemitica'' collections | Antisemitica collections
There have been attempts to collect material deemed antisemitic, such as the Felix Posen Bibliographic Project on Antisemitism, an electronic version of the Antisemitism – An Annotated Bibliography published by De Gruyter Saur from 1984 to 2013 and which lists some 50,000 items including books, dissertations, and articles from periodicals and collections from a diverse range of disciplines as well items from visuals arts such as films and caricatures. Apart from antisemitic material, including those pertaining to "Jewish self-hate", the project also contains Jewish responses to such polemical works and also philosemitic works. |
Antisemitism | See also | See also
Anti-antisemitism
Anti-Jewish violence in Central and Eastern Europe, 1944–1946
Anti-Palestinianism
Anti-Semite and Jew, an essay by Jean-Paul Sartre
Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century: The Resurgence
Antisemitism and the New Testament
Babylonian captivity
Calls for the destruction of Israel
Centre for Research on Antisemitism
Farhud, the 1941 Baghdad pogrom
1929 Hebron massacre
Institutional racism
Jacob Barnet affair
Jewish exodus from the Muslim World
Kingdom of Jerusalem
Khaybar Khaybar ya yahud
Martyrdom in Judaism
Normalization of antisemitism
Reverse discrimination
Secondary antisemitism
Tisha B'Av |
Antisemitism | Notes | Notes |
Antisemitism | References | References |
Antisemitism | Citations | Citations |
Antisemitism | Sources | Sources
Attribution
|
Antisemitism | Further reading | Further reading
online review
. 3 volumes.
online review of this book
Nirenberg, David. Anti-Judaism: The Western Tradition (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2013) 610 pp.
Poliakov, Léon. The History of Anti-Semitism, Volume 1: From the Time of Christ to the Court Jews, University of Pennsylvania Press: 2003
Poliakov, Léon. The History of Anti-Semitism, Volume 2: From Mohammad to the Marranos, University of Pennsylvania Press: 2003
Poliakov, Léon. The History of Anti-Semitism, Volume 4: Suicidal Europe 1870–1933, University of Pennsylvania Press: 2003
Poliakov, Léon (1997). "Anti-Semitism". Encyclopaedia Judaica (CD-ROM Edition Version 1.0). Ed. Cecil Roth. Keter Publishing House.
Porat, Dina. "What makes an anti-Semite?", Haaretz, 27 January 2007. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
Small, Charles Asher ed. The Yale Papers: Antisemitism In Comparative Perspective (Institute For the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, 2015). online , scholarly studies.
Stav, Arieh (1999). Peace: The Arabian Caricature – A Study of Anti-semitic Imagery. Gefen Publishing House. .
Steinweis, Alan E. Studying the Jew: Scholarly Antisemitism in Nazi Germany. Harvard University Press, 2006. .
Stillman, Norman. The Jews of Arab Lands: A History and Source Book. (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America. 1979).
Stillman, N.A. (2006). "Yahud". Encyclopaedia of Islam. Eds.: P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill. Brill Online
Tausch, Arno (2014). The New Global Antisemitism: Implications from the Recent ADL-100 Data (14 January 2015). Middle East Review of International Affairs, Vol. 18, No. 3 (Fall 2014). Available at SSRN or The New Global Antisemitism: Implications from the Recent ADL-100 Data
Tausch, Arno (14 August 2015). Islamism and Antisemitism. Preliminary Evidence on Their Relationship from Cross-National Opinion Data. Available at SSRN or Islamism and Antisemitism. Preliminary Evidence on Their Relationship from Cross-National Opinion Data
, United States Department of State, 2008. Retrieved 25 November 2010. See HTML version .
Vital, David. People Apart: The Jews in Europe, 1789–1939 (1999); 930pp highly detailed
Yehoshua, A.B., An Attempt to Identify the Root Cause of Antisemitism , Azure , Spring 2008.
Antisemitism on Social Media. United Kingdom, Taylor & Francis, 2022. (Editors: Monika Hübscher, Sabine von Mering )
Bibliographies, calendars, etc.
Anti-Defamation League Arab Antisemitism
Annotated bibliography of anti-Semitism hosted by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Center for the Study of Antisemitism (SICSA)
Council of Europe, ECRI Country-by-Country Reports |
Antisemitism | External links | External links
Category:Prejudice and discrimination by type
Category:Racism
Category:Orientalism |
Antisemitism | Table of Content | short description, Origin and usage, Etymology, Usage, Definition, Evolution of usage, Eternalism–contextualism debate, Manifestations, Religious antisemitism, Economic antisemitism, Racial antisemitism, Political antisemitism, Cultural antisemitism, Conspiracy theories, New antisemitism, History, Ancient world, Persecutions during the Middle Ages, Reformation, 17th century, Enlightenment, Voltaire, Louis de Bonald and the Catholic Counter-Revolution, Imperial Russia, Islamic antisemitism in the 19th century, Secular or racial antisemitism, 20th century, Contemporary antisemitism, Holocaust denial, Soviet antisemitism, 21st-century European antisemitism, 21st-century Arab antisemitism, 21st-century antisemitism at universities, Black Hebrew Israelite antisemitism, Antisemitism on the internet, Causes, Prevention through education, Geographical variation, ''Antisemitica'' collections, See also, Notes, References, Citations, Sources, Further reading, External links |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Short description | The economy of Azerbaijan is highly dependent on oil and gas exports, in particular since the completion of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline. The transition to oil production in the late 1990s led to rapid economic growth over the period 1995–2014. Since 2014, GDP growth has slowed down substantially.
Large oil reserves are a major contributor to Azerbaijan's economy. Gas and oil make up two-thirds of Azerbaijan's GDP, making it one of the top ten most fossil fuel-dependent economies in the world. Gas and oil make up 90% of Azerbaijan's export revenues and 60% of its finances.
Azerbaijan's economy is characterized by corruption and inequality. The country's oil wealth has significantly strengthened the stability of Ilham Aliyev's regime and enriched ruling elites in Azerbaijan. The country's oil wealth has enabled the state to host lavish international events, as well as engage in extensive lobbying efforts abroad.
The national currency is the Azerbaijani manat. The private sector is weak in Azerbaijan, as the economy is dominated by state-owned enterprises. More than half of the formal labor force works for the government in Azerbaijan. |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Economic history of Azerbaijan | Economic history of Azerbaijan |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Republic era | Republic era
Oil and gas are the most prominent products of Azerbaijan's economy. More than $60 billion was invested into Azerbaijan's oil sector by major international oil companies in AIOC consortium operated by BP. Oil production under the first of these production sharing agreements (PSAs), with the Azerbaijan International Operating Company, began in November 1997 and was about 500,000 barrels per day in 2006. People visit petroleum spas (or "oil spas") to bathe in the local crude in Naftalan.Azerbaijani answer to oil glut: Bathe in it – Asia – Pacific – International Herald Tribune A leading caviar producer and exporter in the past, Azerbaijan's fishing industry today is concentrated on the dwindling stocks of sturgeon and beluga in the Caspian Sea.
Azerbaijan shares all the problems of the former Soviet republics in making the transition from a command to a market economy, but its energy resources brighten its long-term prospects. Azerbaijan has begun making progress on economic reform, and old economic ties and structures are slowly being replaced. An obstacle to economic progress, including foreign investment, is the continuing conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
In 1992 Azerbaijan became a member of the Economic Cooperation Organization. In 2002, the Azerbaijani merchant marine had 54 ships.
In 2010 Azerbaijan entered into the top eight biggest oil suppliers to EU countries with €9.46 billion. In 2011, the amount of foreign investments in Azerbaijan was $20 billion, a 61% increase from 2010. According to Minister of Economic Development of Azerbaijan, Shahin Mustafayev, in 2011, "$15.7 billion was invested in the non-oil sector, while the restin the oil sector".
thumb|right|Azerbaijani exports in 2006
In 2012, because of its economic performance after the Soviet breakup, Azerbaijan was predicted to become "Tiger of Caucasus". In 2012, Globalization and World Cities Research Network study ranked Baku as a Gamma-level global city.
In 2015, Turkey and Azerbaijan agreed to boost mutual trade to US$15 billion by 2023. |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Macroeconomic trend | Macroeconomic trend
thumb|right|Change in per capita GDP of Azerbaijan since 1973. Figures are inflation-adjusted to 2011 International dollars.
The following is a chart of trend of gross domestic product of Azerbaijan at market pricesestimated by the International Monetary Fund with figures in USD.
Year Gross domestic product PPP Per capita income (as % of USA) 1995 19,497,000,000 8.78 2000 29,683,000,000 10.01 2005 59,087,000,000 15.52 2010 138,947,000,000 31.78 2015 169,789,000,000 32.15
For purchasing power parity comparisons, the US dollar was exchanged at 1,565.88 Manats only. Currently, the new Manat is in use, with an exchange rate of about 1 manat = $0.59. Mean graduate pay was $5.76 per man-hour in 2010.
The following table shows the main economic indicators in 1980–2017.
YearGDP (in bil. US$ PPP)GDP per capita (in US$ PPP)GDP
(in bil. US$ nominal)GDP growth (real)Inflation (in Percent)Government debt (in % of GDP)199327.43,6581.3−27.4%1,129.7%...199520.02,6102.4−13.0%411.8%19%200030.43,7815.36.2%1.8%23%200561.37,25213.328.0%9.6%14%200684.99,92721.034.5%8.2%11%2007109.312,61933.125.5%16.7%8%2008123.314,04649.010.6%20.8%7%2009135.915,23144.39.4%1.5%12%2010143.915,99552.94.6%5.7%13%2011144.515,86166.0−1.6%7.8%11%2012150.216,27169.72.1%1.1%14%2013161.617,27774.25.9%2.5%13%2014168.917,82475.22.7%1.5%14%2015171.817,91550.80.6%4.1%35%2016168.617,37837.8−3.1%12.6%51%2017171.817,49241.40.1%13.0%55%
Source: IMF
For more than a century the backbone of the Azerbaijani economy has been petroleum, which represented 50 percent of Azerbaijan's GDP in 2005, and is projected to double to almost 125 percent of GDP in 2007.Azerbaijan: Energy profile (Enerpub, 13 December 2007) Now that Western oil companies are able to tap deep-water oilfields untouched by the Soviets because of poor technology, Azerbaijan is considered one of the most important areas in the world for oil exploration and development. Proven oil reserves in the Caspian Basin, which Azerbaijan shares with Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, and Turkmenistan, are comparable in size to the North Sea, although exploration is still in the early stages. |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Sectors of the economy | Sectors of the economy |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Agriculture | Agriculture
Azerbaijan has the largest agricultural basin in the region. About 54.9 percent of Azerbaijan is agricultural lands. At the beginning of 2007 there were of utilized agricultural area. In the same year, the total wood resources counted . Azerbaijan's agricultural scientific research institutes are focused on meadows and pastures, horticulture and subtropical crops, leaf vegetables, viticulture and wine-making, cotton growing and medicinal plants. In some lands, it is profitable to grow grain, potatoes, sugar beets, cotton and tobacco. Livestock, dairy products, and wine and spirits are also important farm products. The Caspian fishing industry is concentrated on the dwindling stocks of sturgeon and beluga.
Some portions of most products that were previously imported from abroad have begun to be produced locally (among them are Coca-Cola by Coca-Cola Bottlers LTD, beer by Baki-Kastel, parquet by Nehir and oil pipes by EUPEC Pipe Coating Azerbaijan).
A new program which is prepared by the European Union is aimed to supporting the economic diversification of Azerbaijan.https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/news_corner/news/eu4lankaran-%E2%80%93-new-eu-action-boost-rural-and-regional-competitiveness-azerbaijan_en |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Manufacturing | Manufacturing
thumb|Marauder (Mine Protected Vehicle) is manufactured in Azerbaijan.
In 2007, mining and hydrocarbon industries accounted for well over 95 percent of the Azerbaijani economy. Diversification of the economy into manufacturing industries remains a long-term issue.
As of the late 2000s, the defense industry of Azerbaijan has emerged as an autonomous entity with a growing defense production capability. The ministry is cooperating with the defense sectors of Ukraine, Belarus and Pakistan. Along with other contracts, Azerbaijani defense industries and Turkish companies, Azerbaijan will produce 40 mm revolver grenade launchers, 107 mm and 122 mm MLRS systems, Cobra 4×4 vehicles and joint modernization of BTR vehicles in Baku.Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense Industry plans to assume several projects on technical modernization of Armed Forces Azerbaijani Defense Industry Ministry conducts negotiations with Turkish "Otokar" Company on production of armored vehicles |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Financial and business services | Financial and business services
The banking sector remains small in relation to the size of the Azerbaijani economy. |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Telecommunications | Telecommunications
The Azerbaijan telecommunications sector is embroiled in corruption. Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and his family own two of Azerbaijan's largest mobile providers (Azerfon and Azercell) through offshore companies and potentially control three-quarters of the mobile market in Azerbaijan. The third large mobile provider is Bakcell, which is registered as a company in an offshore tax haven and whose owners are unknown. Ownership of the mobile providers in Azerbaijan enables the ruling Aliyev family to monitor phone calls and internet activity.
Investigative reporting revealed that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his family made more than $1 billion when state shares of mobile operators were transferred to a purportedly "local partner" which was in reality owned by the Aliyev family's offshore companies.
Azerbaijan has relatively expensive call rates relative to comparable countries. The high prices are possibly due to consolidated control of the mobile market and a lack of competition.
The Azerbaijan government has stated that it wants to create a high-tech sector in Azerbaijan. |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Tourism | Tourism
thumb|Petroglyphs in Gobustan dating back to 10,000 BC indicating a thriving culture. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site considered to be of "outstanding universal value".
Tourism is an important part of the economy of Azerbaijan. The country was a well-known tourist spot in the 1980s. However, the fall of the Soviet Union, and the First Nagorno-Karabakh War during the 1988–1994 period, damaged the tourist industry and the image of Azerbaijan as a tourist destination.
It was not until the 2000s that the tourism industry began to recover, and the country has since experienced a high rate of growth in the number of tourist visits and overnight stays.Azərbaycan Qarabağın turizm imkanlarını təbliğ edir In recent years, Azerbaijan has also become a popular destination for religious, spa, and health care tourism. During winter, the Shahdag Winter Complex offers skiing.
The government of Azerbaijan has set the development of Azerbaijan as an elite tourist destination a top priority. It is a national strategy to make tourism a major, if not the single largest, contributor to the Azerbaijani economy. These activities are regulated by the State Tourism Agency and the Ministry of Culture.
The Formula One Grand Prix is held in Baku, the capital city, and has been held here for years. |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Currency system | Currency system
The Azerbaijani manat is the currency of Azerbaijani, denominated as the manat, subdivided into 100 qapik. The manat is issued by the Central Bank of Azerbaijan, the monetary authority of Azerbaijan. The ISO 4217 abbreviation is AZN. The Latinised symbol is (13px).
The manat is held in a floating exchange-rate system, managed primarily against the US dollar. The rate of exchange (Azerbaijani manat per US$1) for 28 January 2016, was AZN 1.60.
There is a complex relationship between Azerbaijan's balance of trade, inflation, measured by the consumer price index and the value of its currency. Despite allowing the value of the manat to "float", Azerbaijan's central bank has decisive ability to control its value in relationship to other currencies. |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Infrastructure | Infrastructure |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Energy | Energy
thumb|right|The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline (green) is one of several pipelines running from Baku.
Two-thirds of Azerbaijan is rich in oil and natural gas. The region of the Lesser Caucasus accounts for most of the country's gold, silver, iron, copper, titanium, chromium, manganese, cobalt, molybdenum, complex ore and antimony. In September 1994, a 30-year contract was signed between the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and 13 oil companies, among them Amoco, BP, ExxonMobil, Lukoil and Statoil. As Western oil companies are able to tap deep-water oilfields untouched by the Soviet exploitation, Azerbaijan is considered one of the most important spots in the world for oil exploration and development. Azeriqaz, a sub-company of SOCAR, intends to ensure full gasification of the country by 2021. |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Transportation | Transportation
The convenient location of Azerbaijan on the crossroad of major international traffic arteries, such as the Silk Road and the south–north corridor, highlights the strategic importance of the transportation sector for the country's economy. The transport sector in the country includes roads, railways, aviation, and maritime transport.
Azerbaijan is also an important economic hub in the transportation of raw materials. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline (BTC) became operational in May 2006 and extends more than 1,774 kilometers through the territories of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. The BTC is designed to transport up to 50 million tons of crude oil annually and carries oil from the Caspian Sea oilfields to global markets. The South Caucasus Pipeline, also stretching through the territory of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, became operational at the end of 2006 and offers additional gas supplies to the European market from the Shah Deniz gas field. Shah Deniz is expected to produce up to 296 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. Azerbaijan also plays a major role in the EU-sponsored Silk Road Project.
In 2012, the construction of Kars–Tbilisi–Baku railway expected to provide transportation between Asia and Europe through connecting the railways of China and Kazakhstan in the east with Turkey's Marmaray to the European railway system in the west. Broad gauge railways in 2010 stretched for and electrified railways numbered . By 2010, there were 35 airports and one heliport. |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Regulation | Regulation
Single window system shares needed information through a single gateway with all organizations serving in trade field, as well as abolishes useless processes and raises the effectiveness of cooperation among different parties. 73 economies implement single window system in the world. Azerbaijan started to implement this system in 2009. It implemented an E-Government portal as well.
A single-window system was established by a decree of the Azerbaijani President issued in 2007, 30 April, in order to simplify export-import procedures, innovate customs services, and improve the trade environment. The president appointed the State Customs Committee as the leading body of controlling goods and transportation passing through the borders of the country in 2008.
The State Migration Service issues appropriate permits for foreigners and stateless persons coming to Azerbaijan to live and work. The "single window" principle has been applied on migration management processes starting from 1 July 2009 according to the Decree. |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Poverty | Poverty |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Other economic indicators | Other economic indicators
Data from CIA World Factbook unless noted otherwise
Investment (gross fixed)
17% of GDP (2011 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 3.4%
highest 10%: 27.4% (2008)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.1% (2012 est.)
Agriculture
utilized agricultural land: (2011)
total wood resources: 144,2 million cubic meters
crops: cotton, rice and other grains, grapes, fruit, vegetables, tea, tobacco
livestock products: beef, mutton, poultry, milk, eggs
Industrial production growth rate
-3% (2011 est.)
Electricity
production: 22,55 billion kWh (2008)
consumption: 18,8 billion kWh (2008)
exports: 812 million kWh (2008)
imports: 596 million kWh (2008)
Current account balance
$11,12 billion (2011 est.)
Exports commodities
petroleum and natural gas, petroleum products, oilfield equipment; steel, iron ore, cement; chemicals, petrochemicals, textiles, machinery, cotton, foodstuffs.
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$7,146 billion (2011 est.)
Debt external
$3.89 billion (2011 est.)
Currency
1 Manat = 100 gepik
Exchange rates
Azerbaijani manat per US dollar 1.7 (for 22 November 2020)http://www.cbar.az/ Central Bank of the Azerbaijan Republic, accessed 24 July 2015
Azerbaijani manat per Euro 2.01 (for 22 November 2020)
Fiscal year
Calendar year |
Economy of Azerbaijan | See also | See also
Azerbaijan and the International Monetary Fund
List of companies of Azerbaijan
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline
State Oil Company of Azerbaijan
Petroleum industry in Azerbaijan
Agriculture in Azerbaijan
Tourism in Azerbaijan
Sheep farming in Azerbaijan |
Economy of Azerbaijan | References | References |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Further reading | Further reading
Habibov, Nazim: "Poverty in Azerbaijan" in the Caucasus Analytical Digest No. 34
|
Economy of Azerbaijan | External links | External links
Hübner, Gerald: "As If Nothing Happened? How Azerbaijan's Economy Manages to Sail Through Stormy Weather" in the Caucasus Analytical Digest No. 18
Azerbaijan |
Economy of Azerbaijan | Table of Content | Short description, Economic history of Azerbaijan, Republic era, Macroeconomic trend, Sectors of the economy, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Financial and business services, Telecommunications, Tourism, Currency system, Infrastructure, Energy, Transportation, Regulation, Poverty, Other economic indicators, See also, References, Further reading, External links |
Geography of Azerbaijan | Short description | thumb|300px|Azerbaijan map of Köppen climate classification zones
Azerbaijan is a country in the Caucasus region, situated at the juncture of Eastern Europe and West Asia. Three physical features dominate Azerbaijan: the Caspian Sea, whose shoreline forms a natural boundary to the east; the Greater Caucasus mountain range to the north; and the extensive flatlands at the country's center. About the size of Portugal or the US state of Maine, Azerbaijan has a total land area of approximately , less than 1% of the land area of the former Soviet Union. Of the three Transcaucasian states, Azerbaijan has the greatest land area. Special administrative subdivisions are the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, which is separated from the rest of Azerbaijan by a strip of Armenian territory, and the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region, entirely within Azerbaijan. The status of Nagorno-Karabakh is disputed by Armenia, but is internationally recognized as territory of Azerbaijan.
Located in the region of the southern Caucasus Mountains, Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea to the east, Georgia and Russia to the north, Iran to the south, and Armenia to the southwest and west. A small part of Nakhchivan also borders Turkey to the northwest. The capital of Azerbaijan is the ancient city of Baku, which has the largest and best harbor on the Caspian Sea and has long been the center of the republic's oil industry. |
Geography of Azerbaijan | Topography and drainage | Topography and drainage
thumb|300px|right|Topographic map of Azerbaijan
The elevation changes over a relatively short distance from lowlands to highlands; nearly half the country is considered mountainous. Notable physical features are the gently undulating hills of the subtropical southeastern coast, which are covered with tea plantations, orange groves, and lemon groves; numerous mud volcanoes and mineral springs in the ravines of Kobustan Mountain near Baku; and coastal terrain that lies as much as twenty-eight meters below sea level.
Except for its eastern Caspian shoreline and some areas bordering Georgia and Iran, Azerbaijan is ringed by mountains. To the northeast, bordering Russia's Dagestan Autonomous Republic, is the Greater Caucasus range; to the west, bordering Armenia, is the Lesser Caucasus range. To the extreme southeast, the Talysh Mountains form part of the border with Iran. The highest elevations occur in the Greater Caucasus, where Mount Bazardüzü rises 4,466 meters above sea level. Eight large rivers flow down from the Caucasus ranges into the central Kura-Aras Lowlands, alluvial flatlands and low delta areas along the seacoast designated by the Azerbaijani name for the Mtkvari River (Kura) and its main tributary, the Aras. The Mtkvari, the longest river in the Caucasus region, forms the delta and drains into the Caspian a short distance downstream from the confluence with the Aras. The Mingechaur Reservoir, with an area of 605 square kilometers that makes it the largest body of water in Azerbaijan, was formed by damming the Kura in western Azerbaijan. The waters of the reservoir provide hydroelectric power and irrigation of the Kura–Aras plain. Most of the country's rivers are not navigable. About 15% of the land in Azerbaijan is arable. |
Geography of Azerbaijan | Mountains | Mountains
The country's highest peak, Bazardüzü, rises to at the Azerbaijan-Russia border. |
Geography of Azerbaijan | Climate | Climate |
Geography of Azerbaijan | Temperature | Temperature
The climate varies from subtropical and humid in the southeast to subtropical and dry in central and eastern Azerbaijan, continental and humid in the mountains, and continental and dry in Nakhchivan. Baku, on the Caspian, enjoys mild weather that averages in January and in July. |
Geography of Azerbaijan | Precipitation | Precipitation
Physiographic conditions and different atmosphere circulations admit 8 types of air currents including continental, sea, arctic, tropical currents of air that formulates the climate of the Republic. The maximum annual precipitation falls in Lenkeran () and the minimum in Absheron (). The maximum daily precipitation of was observed at the Bilieser Station in 1955. |
Geography of Azerbaijan | Environmental problems <span class="anchor" id="Environmental issues"></span> | Environmental problems
thumb|300px|Subtle changes due to falling sea level (in the Caspian Sea) can be seen along this coastline.
Air and water pollution are widespread and pose great challenges to economic development. Major sources of pollution include oil refineries and chemical and metallurgical industries, which in the early 1990s continued to operate as inefficiently as they had in the Soviet era. Air quality is extremely poor in Baku, the center of oil refining. Some reports have described Baku's air as the most polluted in the former Soviet Union, and other industrial centers suffer similar problems.
The Caspian Sea, including Baku Bay, has been polluted by oil leakages and the dumping of raw or inadequately treated sewage, reducing the yield of caviar and fish. In the Soviet period, Azerbaijan was pressed to use extremely heavy applications of pesticides to improve its output of scarce subtropical crops for the rest of the Soviet Union. The continued regular use of the pesticide DDT in the 1970s and 1980s was an egregious lapse, although that chemical was officially banned in the Soviet Union because of its toxicity to humans. Excessive application of pesticides and chemical fertilizers has caused extensive groundwater pollution and has been linked by Azerbaijani scientists to birth defects and illnesses. Rising water levels in the Caspian Sea, mainly caused by natural factors exacerbated by man-made structures, have reversed the decades-long drying trend and now threaten coastal areas; the average level rose between 1978 and 1993. Because of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, large numbers of trees were felled, roads were built through pristine areas, and large expanses of agricultural land were occupied by military forces.
Like other former Soviet republics, Azerbaijan faces a gigantic environmental cleanup complicated by the economic uncertainties left in the wake of the Moscow-centered planning system. The Committee for the Protection of the Natural Environment is part of the Azerbaijani government, but in the early 1990s it was ineffective at targeting critical applications of limited funds, establishing pollution standards, or monitoring compliance with environmental regulations. Early in 1994, plans called for Azerbaijan to participate in the international Caspian Sea Forum, sponsored by the European Union (EU).
Natural hazards
Droughts and floods; some lowland areas threatened by rising levels of the Caspian Sea
Environment – current issues
Local scientists consider the Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) (including Baky and Sumqayit) and the Caspian Sea to be the ecologically most devastated area in the world because of severe air, water, and soil pollution; soil pollution results from the use of DDT as a pesticide and also from toxic defoliants used in the production of cotton.
Environment – international agreements
Party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands |
Geography of Azerbaijan | Area and boundaries | Area and boundaries
Area
Total:
country rank in the world: 113rd
Land:
Water:
Note: Includes the exclave of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh region; the region's autonomy was abolished by Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet on November 26, 1991.
Area comparative
Australia comparative: approximately larger than Tasmania
Canada comparative: approximately larger than New Brunswick
United Kingdom comparative: slightly larger than Scotland
United States comparative: slightly smaller than Maine
EU comparative: slightly smaller than Portugal
Land boundaries
Total
Border countries
Armenia (with Azerbaijan-proper)
Armenia (with Azerbaijan-Nakhchivan exclave)
Georgia
Iran (with Azerbaijan-proper)
Iran (with Azerbaijan-Nakhchivan exclave)
Russia
Turkey
Coastline
0 km
Note: Azerbaijam borders the Caspian Sea. Its coastline with the Caspian Sea is .
Maritime claims
Border disputes with Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Iran, and Russia
Terrain
large, flat lowland (much of it below sea-level) with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north, uplands in the west
Elevation extremes
Lowest point Caspian Sea
Highest point Bazardüzü (on the border with Russia)
Highest peak entirely within Azeri territory Shah Dagi |
Geography of Azerbaijan | Islands | Islands |
Geography of Azerbaijan | Resources and land use | Resources and land use
Natural resources
Petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, bauxite
Land use
Arable land: 22.95%
Permanent crops: 2.79%
Other: 74.26% (2012 est.)
Irrigated land
14,250 km² (2010)
Total renewable water resources
34.68 km3 (2011)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
Total: 12.21 km3/yr (4%/18%/78%)
Per capita: 1,384 cu m/yr (2010) |
Geography of Azerbaijan | See also | See also
List of volcanoes in Azerbaijan |
Geography of Azerbaijan | References | References |
Geography of Azerbaijan | General references | General references
|
Geography of Azerbaijan | Table of Content | Short description, Topography and drainage, Mountains, Climate, Temperature, Precipitation, Environmental problems <span class="anchor" id="Environmental issues"></span>, Area and boundaries, Islands, Resources and land use, See also, References, General references |
Foreign relations of Azerbaijan | Short description |
The Republic of Azerbaijan is a member of the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, NATO's Partnership for Peace, the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, the World Health Organization, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; the Council of Europe, CFE Treaty, the Community of Democracies; the International Monetary Fund; and the World Bank. |
Foreign relations of Azerbaijan | List | List
List of countries which Azerbaijan maintains diplomatic relations with:
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Foreign relations of Azerbaijan | Information on some of the countries with which Azerbaijan maintains formal relations | Information on some of the countries with which Azerbaijan maintains formal relations |
Foreign relations of Azerbaijan | Multilateral | Multilateral
Organization Formal Relations BeganNotes See Azerbaijan in the Council of Europe
Azerbaijan joined the Council of Europe as a full member on 25 January 2001.
The Azerbaijani Permanent Mission to the Council of Europe is based in Strasbourg, France.
The Council of Europe maintains an Office in Baku, Azerbaijan.1996See Azerbaijan–European Union relations
Azerbaijan is not a member of the European Union.
The Mission of Azerbaijan to the European Union is located in Brussels, Belgium.
The Delegation of the European Union to Azerbaijan Office is located in Baku, Azerbaijan.1992 See Azerbaijan–NATO relations
Azerbaijan is not a member of NATO.
Azerbaijan joined the NATO Partnership for Peace on 4 May 1994.
The Azerbaijani Permanent Mission to the NATO is based in Brussels, Belgium.2009 See Azerbaijan–Turkic Council relations |
Foreign relations of Azerbaijan | Africa | Africa
Country Formal Relations BeganNotes Азербайджан установил дипломатические отношения с Буркина-Фасо, Руандой и Кенией "Рол" 31 мая 2004 г.See Azerbaijan–Burkina Faso relations See Azerbaijan–DR Congo relations See Azerbaijan–Djibouti relations Азербайджан открывает посольство в Эфиопии. 1news.az. 28 December 2012.See Azerbaijan–Ethiopia relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Addis Ababa since 2013. 11 November 1994 See Azerbaijan–Gambia relations See Azerbaijan–Kenya relations 16 March 1992 See Azerbaijan–Libya relations See Azerbaijan–Morocco relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Rabat since 2005.
Morocco has an embassy in Baku. 14 March 1996 See Azerbaijan—Senegal relations Посол Азербайджана в ЮАР встретился с преподавателями и студентами Преторийского университета Vesti.Az 1 November 2012.See Azerbaijan–South Africa relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Pretoria. 1 July 1998 See Azerbaijan–Tunisia relations |
Foreign relations of Azerbaijan | Americas | Americas
Country Formal Relations BeganNotes See Argentina–Azerbaijan relations
Argentina has an embassy in Baku.
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Buenos Aires. See Azerbaijan–Brazil relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Brasília.
Brazil has an embassy in Baku. See Azerbaijan–Canada relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Ottawa.
Canada is accredited to Azerbaijan from its embassy in Ankara, Turkey. See Azerbaijan–Colombia relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Bogotá.
Colombia has an embassy in Baku. See Azerbaijan–Cuba relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Havana.
Cuba has an embassy in Baku. See Azerbaijan–Ecuador relations See Azerbaijan–Mexico relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Mexico City.
Mexico has an embassy in Baku. See Azerbaijan–Nicaragua relations
Azerbaijan is represented in Nicaragua through its embassy in Havana, Cuba.
Nicaragua is represented in Azerbaijan through its embassy in Moscow, Russia. Азербайджан установил дипотношения с Эритреей и Парагваем Day.Az 28 Апреля 2004See Azerbaijan–Paraguay relations See Azerbaijan–Peru relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Lima.
Peru has an embassy in Baku. , See Azerbaijan–United States relations
On 25 December 1991 President George H. W. Bush announced that the United States recognized the independence of all 12 former Soviet republics, including Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Washington, DC and has a consulate-general in Los Angeles.
United States has an embassy in Baku. See Azerbaijan–Uruguay relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Montevideo.
Uruguay is accredited to Azerbaijan from its embassy in Tehran, Iran. See Azerbaijan–Venezuela relations
Azerbaijan does not have an accreditation to Venezuela.
Venezuela has an embassy in Baku. |
Foreign relations of Azerbaijan | Asia | Asia
Country Formal Relations BeganNotes 1918–1921
Armenia and Azerbaijan do not have formal relations since that timeSee Armenia–Azerbaijan relations, First Nagorno-Karabakh War, Second Nagorno-Karabakh war
The neighboring nations of Armenia and Azerbaijan have had formal governmental relations between 1918 and 1921, when both countries were briefly independent. The two nations have fought three wars in the 1918–20 (Armenian–Azerbaijani War), the 1988–94 (Nagorno-Karabakh War), and the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, with the last two ending in ceasefire agreements - the Bishkek Protocol and the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement respectively. There are no formal diplomatic relations between the two countries, because of the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and dispute. In 2008, Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev declared, "Nagorno Karabakh will never be independent; the position is backed by international mediators as well; Armenia has to accept the reality," and "in 1918, Yerevan was granted to the Armenians. It was a great mistake. The khanate of Iravan was the Azerbaijani territory, the Armenians were guests here."Azerbaijani president: Armenians are guests in Yerevan , REGNUM News Agency, 17 January 2008
During the Soviet period, many Armenians and Azerbaijanis lived side by side in peace. However, when Mikhail Gorbachev introduced the policies of Glasnost and Perestroika, the majority of Armenians from the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) of the Azerbaijan SSR began a movement to unify with the Armenian SSR. In 1988, the Armenians of Karabakh voted to secede and join Armenia. This, along with mutual massacres in Azerbaijan and Armenia resulted in the conflict that became known as the Nagorno-Karabakh War. The violence resulted in de facto Armenian control of former NKAO and seven surrounding Azerbaijani regions, which was effectively halted when both sides agrees to observe a cease-fire, which has since been in effect since May 1994, and in late 1995 both also agreed to mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group. The Minsk Group is currently co-chaired by the U.S., France, and Russia and comprises Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and several Western European nations. Despite the cease fire, up to 40 clashes are reported along the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict lines of control each year.
The two countries are still technically at war. Citizens of the Republic of Armenia, as well as citizens of any other country who are of Armenian descent, are forbidden entry to the Republic of Azerbaijan.
If a person's passport shows any evidence of travel to Nagorno-Karabakh, they are forbidden entry to the Republic of Azerbaijan.Azerbaijan Country Page . NCSJ: Advocates on Behalf of Jews in Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States & Eurasia. Accessed 23 May 2010.
In 2008, in what became known as the 2008 Mardakert Skirmishes, Armenia and Azerbaijan clashed over Nagorno-Karabakh. The fighting between the two sides was brief, with few casualties on either side.
As of July 2020, the new round of military escalation along the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan continued, thus making it one of the most explosive regions in Eurasia.Expert Opinion: Neither Peace Nor War: Why Clashes on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Border Didn't Change the Status Quo, Valdai Club, 21 August 2020
On 27 September 2020, a new military conflict emerged between Azerbaijan and Armenia.New flare up of violence breaks out between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Euronews, 28 September 2020 The following day, on 28 September 2020, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree declaring a partial military mobilisation following clashes with Armenian forces over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.Azerbaijan declares partial military mobilisation – president's decree , Reuters, 28 September 2020 An armistice agreement between the two countries was signed on 10 November 2020, returning control of the territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan. 30 December 1991See Azerbaijan–Bangladesh relations
On 30 December 1991, Bangladesh recognized the independence of Azerbaijan.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on 26 February 1992.
Azerbaijan is accredited to Bangladesh from its embassy in New Delhi, India.
Bangladesh has a consulate in Baku. See Azerbaijan–China relations
The PRC recognized the independence of Azerbaijan on 27 December 1992.
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Beijing.
The People's Republic of China has an embassy in Baku.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC: Relations with Azerbaijan See Azerbaijan-India relations
India recognized the independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan on 26 December 1991.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on 28 February 1992.
Azerbaijan has an embassy in New Delhi.
India has an embassy in Baku. See Azerbaijan-Indonesia relations
On 28 September 1991, the Republic of Indonesia recognized the independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
On 24 September 1992, diplomatic relations were established between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Indonesia.
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Jakarta.
Indonesia has an embassy in Baku. , See Azerbaijan–Iran relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Tehran. and a consulate general in Tabriz.
Iran has an embassy in Baku. and a consulate general in Nakhchivan.
Both countries are full members of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Iran recognized Azerbaijan on 4 January 1992, upgraded its consulate in Baku to establish full diplomatic relations.James P. Nichol. Diplomacy in the Former Soviet Republics, Praeger/Greenwood, 1995, , p. 150 2 January 1992See Azerbaijan–Iraq relations
On 2 January 1992, Iraq recognized the independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
On 30 March 1992, diplomatic relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Iraq were established.
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Baghdad.
Iraq has an embassy in Baku. See Azerbaijan–Israel relations
Azerbaijan is one of the few majority Muslim countries to develop bilateral strategic and economic relations with Israel.
Israel was one of the first countries to recognize Azerbaijan on 25 December 1991. See Azerbaijan–Japan relations
Japan recognized Azerbaijan on 28 December 1991.
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Tokyo since 12 October 2005.
Japan has an embassy in Baku since 21 January 2000.
Azerbaijan is a full member of the Council of Europe (CoE) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Japan is an observer member of the CoE and a partner for co-operation of the OSCE. AZERBAIJAN – JORDAN RELATIONS .See Azerbaijan–Jordan relations
On 28 December 1991, Jordan recognized the independence of Azerbaijan.
On 13 February 1993, a protocol on establishing diplomatic relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was signed.
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Amman.
Jordan has an embassy in Baku. See Azerbaijan–Kazakhstan relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Astana.
Kazakhstan has an embassy in Baku since 16 December 1994. See Azerbaijan-Kyrgyzstan relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Bishkek.
Kyrgyzstan has an embassy in Baku. 22 May 1995See Azerbaijan–Laos relations See Azerbaijan–Lebanon relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Beirut.
Lebanon is accredited to Azerbaijan from its embassy in Tehran, Iran. 31 December 1991See Azerbaijan–Malaysia relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Kuala Lumpur, and Malaysia has an embassy in Baku
Malaysia recognizes the independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan on 31 December 1991 and on 5 April 1993 diplomatic relations were established. 14 September 1994See Azerbaijan–Qatar relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Doha.
Qatar has an embassy in Baku. See Azerbaijan–Pakistan relations
Pakistan was the second country to recognize Azerbaijan after Turkey following the dissolution of the USSR.
Pakistan is among the first countries to open an embassy in Baku.
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Islamabad.Embassy of Azerbaijan in Pakistan
Both countries are full members of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Due to its support of Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Pakistan does not recognize Armenia as a state.Harut Sassounian. Armenia Finally Counters Pakistan's Anti-Armenian Policies. The Armenian Weekly. 29 November 2016
Azerbaijan has also expressed its support for Pakistan's stand on Kashmir. See Azerbaijan–Palestine relations
Palestine has an embassy in Baku since 2011. 27 March 1992See Azerbaijan–Philippines relations
Azerbaijan has a consulate in Manila.
Philippines is accredited to Azerbaijan from its embassy in Ankara. Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia discuss prospects of military cooperation. Azernews. 7 February 2018See Azerbaijan–Saudi Arabia relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Riyadh since 1994.
Saudi Arabia has an embassy in Baku since 1999.
Due to its support of Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Saudi Arabia refuses to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia.Lusine Musayelian. Armenia No Friend To Muslim States, Says Aliyev. Azatutyun. 13 December 2017. See Azerbaijan–South Korea relations
Azerbaijani embassy in Seoul.
South Korean embassy in Baku.
Bilateral Trade agreement was signed in 2014
Exports US$269.5 million.
Imports US$0.54 million. Syria . Eurasia Diary. 28 March 2016See Azerbaijan–Syria relations
Syria is accredited to Azerbaijan from its embassy in Tehran, Iran. 7 July 1992See Azerbaijan–Thailand relations
Azerbaijan is accredited to Thailand from its embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Thailand has a consulate in Baku. 14 Jan. 1992See Azerbaijan–Turkey relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Ankara and Consulates General in Istanbul and Kars and Consular Mission in Iğdır.
Turkey has an embassy in Baku and Consulates General in Nakhchivan and Ganja.
Both countries are members of Asia Cooperation Dialogue, Council of Europe, Economic Cooperation Organization, International Organization of Turkic Culture, OIC, TAKM, Organization of Turkic States, TURKPA, Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation and OSCE.
Trade volume between the two countries was US$4.18 billion in 2019 (Azerbaijani exports/imports: 2.55/1.63 billion USD.
Azerbaijan-Turkey relations have been described as "one nation with two states" due to a common culture and the mutual intelligibility of Turkish and Azerbaijani.
Turkey became the first state to recognize the Republic of Azerbaijan in November 1991.
Yunus Emre Institute has a local headquarters in Baku. 9 June 1992See Azerbaijan–Turkmenistan relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Ashgabat.
Turkmenistan has an embassy in Baku.
The Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan inter-parliamentary friendship group functions in the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan inter-parliamentary friendship group works in the Majlis of Turkmenistan. 2 October 1995See Azerbaijan–Uzbekistan relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Tashkent.
Uzbekistan has an embassy in Baku. 23 September 1992See Azerbaijan–Vietnam relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Hanoi.
Vietnam is accredited to Azerbaijan from its embassy in Moscow. 25 February 1992See Azerbaijan–Yemen relations
Yemen is accredited to Azerbaijan via its embassy in Ankara. |
Foreign relations of Azerbaijan | Europe | Europe
Country Formal Relations BeganNotes See Albania–Azerbaijan relations
Both countries are members of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and of Council of Europe. See Austria–Azerbaijan relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Vienna.
Austria opened an embassy in Baku in 2010.
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). See Azerbaijan–Belarus relations
Before 1918, they were part of the Russian Empire and before 1991, they were part of the Soviet Union.
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Minsk.
Belarus has an embassy in Baku.
Both countries are full members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
Also Azerbaijan is a full member of the Council of Europe, Belarus is a candidate.
Belarus is a full member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Azerbaijan is an observer member. See Azerbaijan–Belgium relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Brussels.
Belgium has an embassy in Baku.
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). 19 February 1995 See Azerbaijan–Bosnia and Herzegovina relations
Bosnia and Herzegovina recognized the independence of Azerbaijan on 9 February 1995. Diplomatic relations were established between the two countries on the same day.
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is accredited to Azerbaijan from its embassy in Ankara. See Azerbaijan—Bulgaria relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Sofia.
Bulgaria has an embassy in Baku.
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC).
Bulgaria recognized the independence of Azerbaijan on 14 January 1992. See Azerbaijan–Croatia relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Zagreb
Croatia is represented in Azerbaijan through a non-resident ambassador based in Baku (in the Foreign Ministry).
Croatia is represented in Azerbaijan through its embassy in Ankara (Turkey).
Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Croatia
Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration: list of bilateral treaties with Azerbaijan
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe.Azerbaijan formally recognizes the government of the Republic of Cyprus as the sole representative of the island, but has not yet established diplomatic relations with Cyprus. The parliament of Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic issued a resolution recognizing the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as a sovereign state. While this recognition is not regarded by Azerbaijan and internationally as 'official state-to-state', Azerbaijan itself maintained cordial unofficial relations with the TRNC. In 2004, Azerbaijan threatened to formally recognize the TRNC if the Annan Plan was voted down by the Greek Cypriots (who rejected the plan in one of twin referendums held 24 April 2004 in both the Greek and Turkish zones simultaneously), but backed off the threat when it was pointed out by Cyprus that doing so would be hypocritical, as a portion of its territory just like that of Cyprus itself is under occupation and would probably result in negative impact on its ongoing dispute with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh.Turkey and Azerbaijan: The Honeymoon is Over by Fariz Ismailzade. Turkishpolicy.com See Azerbaijan–Czech Republic relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Prague, opened on 15 August 2007.Embassy of Azerbaijan in the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic has an embassy in Baku.
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
The Czech Republic recognized the independence of Azerbaijan on 8 January 1992. See Azerbaijan-Denmark relations
The Kingdom of Denmark recognized the independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan on 31 December 1991.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on 2 April 1992.
Denmark has a consulate in Baku.
Azerbaijan is accredited to Denmark from its embassy in London. See Azerbaijan-Estonia relations
Estonia recognized the independence of Azerbaijan on 20 February 1992.
Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Estonia have been established since 20 April 1992.
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Tallinn.
Estonia has an embassy in Baku. The Republic of Finland recognized the independence of Azerbaijan on 30 December 1991.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on 24 March 1992.
Azerbaijan is accredited to Finland from its embassy in Stockholm.
Finland has a consulate in Baku.See Azerbaijan—France relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Paris.
France has an embassy in Baku.French embassy in Baku
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). , See Azerbaijan–Georgia relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Tbilisi. and a general consulate in Batumi.
Georgia has an embassy in Baku. and a general consulate in Ganja.
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC).See Azerbaijan–Germany relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Berlin.
Germany has an embassy in Baku.
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). See Azerbaijan–Greece relations
Greece recognized Azerbaijan's independence on 31 December 1991.
The Greek embassy in Baku. was opened in the spring of 1993.
The embassy of Azerbaijan in Athens. was opened in August 2004.
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC).
Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Greece 23 May 1992 See Azerbaijan–Holy See relations
Diplomatic relations with the Holy See were established on 23 May 1992.
Azerbaijan is accredited to the Holy See through its embassy in Paris, France.
The Holy See is accredited to Azerbaijan through its nunciature in Ankara, Turkey. Hungary See Azerbaijan–Hungary relations
Hungary recognized Azerbaijan's independence on 26 December 1991.
Azerbaijan has en embassy in Budapest. since September 2004.
Hungary has an embassy in Baku. since 12 January 2009.
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Hungary 27 February 1998See Azerbaijan–Iceland relations
Iceland recognized the independence of Azerbaijan on 19 January 1992.
Diplomatic relations were established between the two countries on 27 February 1998.
Iceland is accredited to Azerbaijan from its embassy in Moscow.
Azerbaijan is accredited to Iceland from its embassy in London. Ireland See Azerbaijan–Ireland relations
Azerbaijan is represented in Ireland through its embassy in London (United Kingdom).
Ireland is represented in Azerbaijan through its embassy in Ankara (Turkey). See Azerbaijan–Italy relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Rome.
Italy has an embassy in Baku.
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). See Azerbaijan—Latvia relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Riga.
Latvia has an embassy in Baku.
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Both countries were former republics of the Soviet Union.
Azerbaijan recognized the independence of Latvia on 30 August 1991.
Latvia recognized the independence of Azerbaijan on 8 January 1992.
Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Azerbaijan See Azerbaijan—Lithuania relations
Azerbaijan recognized the independence of Lithuania on 10 September 1991.
Lithuania recognized the independence of Azerbaijan on 20 December 1991.
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Vilnius.
Lithuania has an embassy in Baku.
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Cooperation with Azerbaijan
Foreign Minister of Lithuania to pay official visit to Azerbaijan 21 December 1991 See Azerbaijan–Moldova relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Chișinău.
Moldova has an embassy in Baku.
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe.See Azerbaijan–Montenegro relations
Azerbaijan recognized the independence of Montenegro on 24 July 2006. On 24 April 2008, diplomatic relations between these two countries were established. See Azerbaijan–Netherlands relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in The Hague.
The Netherlands has an embassy in Baku.
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe. See Azerbaijan—North Macedonia relations
North Macedonia has an economic office in Baku. See Azerbaijan-Poland relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Warsaw.
Poland has an embassy in Baku.
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe.5 June 1992See Azerbaijan–Portugal relations
Portugal recognized the independence of Azerbaijan on 7 January 1992.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on 5 June 1992.
Azerbaijan is accredited to Portugal from its embassy in Rabat, Morocco.
Portugal is accredited to Azerbaijan from its embassy in Ankara, Turkey. See Azerbaijan–Romania relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Bucharest.
Romania has an embassy in Baku.
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe. See Azerbaijan–Russia relations
Russia has an embassy in Baku.
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Moscow and consulate-general in Saint Petersburg. Azerbaijan also announced that it will open another consulate-general in Yekaterinburg. See Azerbaijan–Serbia relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Belgrade.
Serbia has an embassy in Baku. 23 November 1993 See Azerbaijan–Slovakia relations
Azerbaijan has a consulate in Bratislava.
Slovakia has an embassy in Baku.20 February 1996 See Azerbaijan–Slovenia relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Ljubljana.
Slovenia has a consulate in Baku. See Azerbaijan–Spain relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Madrid.
Spain has an embassy office in Baku.
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe.See Azerbaijan–Sweden relations
The embassy of Sweden in Baku opened in 2014.
Azerbaijan opened an embassy in Stockholm
Currently, approximately 10 thousand Azerbaijanis live in Sweden, and in addition about 30 thousand Azerbaijanis from Iran.
In 2006, a diaspora organization called «Odlar yurdu» was established in Sweden.
In 2010, the Congress of Swedish Azerbaijanis was established.
Sweden has an honorary in Baku.
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).See Azerbaijan–Switzerland relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Bern.
Switzerland has an embassy in Baku.
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Switzerland considers Azerbaijan an important country for economic development cooperation.State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO, Economic Cooperation and Development Azerbaijan , See Azerbaijan–Ukraine relations
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Kyiv.
Ukraine has an embassy in Baku.
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development (GUAM) and the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC). , See Azerbaijan – United Kingdom relations
Azerbaijan established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 11 March 1992.
Azerbaijan maintains an embassy in London.
The United Kingdom is accredited to Azerbaijan through its embassy in Baku.
Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, European Court of Human Rights, and the OSCE. Bilaterally the two countries have a Double Taxation Agreement, and an Investment Agreement. |
Foreign relations of Azerbaijan | Oceania | Oceania
Country Formal Relations BeganNotes See Australia–Azerbaijan relations
Australia is accredited to Azerbaijan from its embassy in Ankara, Turkey.
Azerbaijan has an embassy in Canberra. See Azerbaijan—New Zealand relations
Azerbaijan is accredited to New Zealand from its embassy in Canberra, Australia.
New Zealand is accredited to Azerbaijan from its embassy in Moscow, Russia. |
Foreign relations of Azerbaijan | International organizations | International organizations
AsDB
BSEC
CE
CIS
DAC (participant)
EAPC
EBRD
ECE
ECO
ESCAP
FAO
GUAM
IAEA
IBRD
ICAO
ICRM
IDA
IDB
IFAD
IFC
IFRCS
ILO
IMF
IMO
Interpol
IOC, IOM
ISO (correspondent)
ITU
ITUC
OAS (observer)
OIC
OPCW
OSCE
PFP (NATO)
UN
UNCTAD
UNESCO
UNIDO
UPU
WCO
WFTU
WHO
WIPO
WMO
WToO
WTO (observer) |
Foreign relations of Azerbaijan | Other entities | Other entities
Sovereign Military Order of Malta – there are no relations
States with limited recognition |
Foreign relations of Azerbaijan | Disputes | Disputes |
Foreign relations of Azerbaijan | Nagorno-Karabakh/Azerbaijan | Nagorno-Karabakh/Azerbaijan
The frozen conflict over currently largely Armenian-populated region of Nagorno-Karabakh within the Republic of Azerbaijan began when in 1988 the Armenian majority of Nagorno-Karabakh demanded autonomy with demonstrations and persecutions against ethnic Azeris following in Armenia. This led to anti-Armenian rioting in Azerbaijan, with Azerbaijani militias beginning their effort to expel Armenians from the enclave. In 1992, a war broke out and pogroms of Armenians and Azeris forced both groups to flee their homes. In 1994, a Russian-brokered ceasefire ended the war but more than 1 million ethnic Armenians and Azeris are still not able to return. In 2023, an Azerbaijani offensive into Nagorno-Karabakh ended the conflict, with the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh conceding sovereignty to the government of Azerbaijan on January 1, 2024. |
Foreign relations of Azerbaijan | Caviar diplomacy | Caviar diplomacy
The European Stability Initiative (ESI) has revealed in a report from 2012 with the title "Caviar diplomacy: How Azerbaijan silenced the Council of Europe", that since Azerbaijan's entry into the Council of Europe, each year 30 to 40 deputies are invited to Azerbaijan and generously paid with expensive gifts, including caviar (worth up to 1,400 euro), silk carpets, gold, silver and large amounts of money.Aserbaidschan: Die Kaviar-Diplomatie (German). Der Tagesspiegel. Retrieved 3 August 2013 In return they become lobbyists for Azerbaijan. This practice has been widely referred to as "Caviar diplomacy".Europe's caviar diplomacy with Azerbaijan must end. EUobserver. Retrieved 6 April 2014
ESI also published a report on 2013 Presidential elections in Azerbaijan titled "Disgraced: Azerbaijan and the end of election monitoring as we know it". The report revealed the ties between Azerbaijani government and the members of certain observation missions who praised the elections. Azerbaijan's "Caviar diplomacy" at 2013 presidential elections sparked a major international scandal, as the reports of two authoritative organizations Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe/European Parliament and OSCE/ODIHR completely contradicted one another in their assessments of elections.European MPs' praise for Azerbaijan election sparks row BBC News, 17 October 2013Plush hotels and caviar diplomacy: how Azerbaijan's elite wooed MPs The Guardian 24 November 2013
Non-governmental anti-corruption organization Transparency International has regularly judged Azerbaijan to be one of the most corrupt countries in the world and has also criticized Azerbaijan for the "Caviar diplomacy".How Baku's 'caviar diplomacy' neutered Europe's rights standards . Democracy Digest. Retrieved 4 August 2013
At June 2016 the public prosecutor of Milan has accused the former leader of the (Christian) Union of the center and of the European People's Party of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Luca Volonte of accepting large bribes from representatives of the Azerbaijani government.Corruzione, "tangente da due milioni dall'Azerbaijan": indagato a Milano ex Udc Volontè // Corriere della Sera, 25 June 2016 Two people with high-level experience of the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly (Pace) have told the Guardian they believe its members have been offered bribes for votes by Azerbaijan. Former Azerbaijani diplomat, Arif Mammadov, alleged that a member of Azerbaijan's delegation at the Council of Europe had €30m (£25m) to spend on lobbying its institutions, including the Council of Europe assembly.Fresh claims of Azerbaijan vote-rigging at European human rights body // The Guardian. 20 April 2017 PACE ratified the terms of reference of an independent external investigation body to carry out a detailed independent inquiry into the allegations of corruption at the council involving Azerbaijan.Corruption inquiry at Council of Europe over Azerbaijan // BBC, 30 May 2017 |
Foreign relations of Azerbaijan | ESISC report | ESISC report
On 6 March 2017, ESISC (European Strategic Intelligence and Security Center) published a scandalous report called "The Armenian Connection" where it veraciously attacked human rights NGOs and research organisations criticising human rights violations and corruption in Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Russia.AN EXPLORATION INTO AZERBAIJAN'S SOPHISTICATED SYSTEM OF PROJECTING ITS INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE, BUYING WESTERN POLITICIANS AND CAPTURING INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS // Freedom Files Analytical Centre (Civic Solidarity Platform), March 2017
ESISC in that report asserted that "Caviar diplomacy" report elaborated by ESI aimed to create climate of suspicion based on slander to form a network of MPs that would engage in a political war against Azerbaijan. In the Second Chapter of the report called "The Armenian Connection: «Mr X», Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights" that was published on 18 April 2017 ESISC asserted that the network composed of European PMs, Armenian officials and some NGOs: Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, "Human Rights House Foundation", "Open Dialog", European Stability Initiative, and Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, was financed by the Soros Foundation. According to ESISC the key figure of the network since 2012 has been Nils Muižnieks, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe and the network has served to the interests of George Soros and the Republic of Armenia.
"The report is written in the worst traditions of authoritarian propaganda, makes absurd claims, and is clearly aimed at deflecting the wave of criticism against cover-up of unethical lobbying and corruption in PACE and demands for change in the Assembly", said Freedom Files Analytical Centre.
According Robert Coalson (Radio Free Europe), ESISC is a part of Baku's lobbying efforts to extend to the use of front think tanks to shift public opinion.Baku Smooths Over Its Rights Record With A Thick Layer Of Caviar // Radio Free Europe, 8 November 2013
European Stability Initiative said that "ESISC report is full of lies (such as claiming that German PACE member Strasser holds pro-Armenian views and citing as evidence that he went to Yerevan in 2015 to commemorate the Armenian genocide, when Strasser has never in his life been to independent Armenia)".Merchants of Doubt or investigating Corruption // ESI, 21 April 2017 |
Foreign relations of Azerbaijan | See also | See also
Azerbaijan–European Union relations
Azerbaijan–NATO relations
Azerbaijan and the International Monetary Fund
List of diplomatic missions in Azerbaijan
List of diplomatic missions of Azerbaijan
Visa requirements for Azerbaijani citizens |
Foreign relations of Azerbaijan | References | References
CIA World Factbook 2000 and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website |
Foreign relations of Azerbaijan | Further reading | Further reading
Valiyev, Anar: "Azerbaijan and the North Caucasus: A Pragmatic Relationship" in the Caucasus Analytical Digest No. 27
Hübner, Gerald: "Foreign Direct Investment in Azerbaijan—the Quality of Quantity" in the Caucasus Analytical Digest No. 28
Abbasov, Shahin: "Azerbaijan's Eurovision Story: Great Chances to Improve, But No Political Will" in the Caucasus Analytical Digest No. 32
Mazziotti, Marius; Sauerborn, Djan; Scianna, Bastian Matteo: "Multipolarity is key: Assessing Azerbaijan's foreign policy" |
Foreign relations of Azerbaijan | External links | External links
U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan in Baku
Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Washington
Tajikistan & Kyrgyzstan relations
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Foreign relations of Azerbaijan | Table of Content | Short description, List, Information on some of the countries with which Azerbaijan maintains formal relations, Multilateral, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania, International organizations, Other entities, Disputes, Nagorno-Karabakh/Azerbaijan, Caviar diplomacy, ESISC report, See also, References, Further reading, External links |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Short description | The Azerbaijani Armed Forces () is the military of the Republic of Azerbaijan. It was re-established according to the country's Law of the Armed Forces on 9 October 1991. The original Azerbaijan Democratic Republic's armed forces were dissolved after Azerbaijan was absorbed into the Soviet Union as the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic from 28 April 1920. After the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991–92, Azerbaijan's armed forces were reformed based on the Soviet bases and equipment left on Azerbaijani soil.
The armed forces have three branches: the Azerbaijani Land Forces, the Azerbaijani Air Forces and the Azerbaijani Navy. Associated forces include the Azerbaijani National Guard, the Internal Troops of Azerbaijan, and the State Border Service, which can be involved in state defense under certain circumstances.
According to the Azerbaijani media sources, the military expenditure of Azerbaijan for 2009 was set at US$2.46 billion. However, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, only $1.473 billion was spent that year.Stockholm International Peace Research Institute The SIPRI Military Expenditure Database IISS also suggests that the defence budget in 2009 was $1.5 billion. The Ministry of Defence Industry of Azerbaijan supervises the design, manufacturing, regulation and maintenance of military equipment. In the future, Azerbaijan hopes to start building tanks, armored vehicles, military planes and military helicopters. and |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Overview | Overview
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan has been trying to further develop its armed forces into a professional, well trained, and mobile military. Azerbaijan has been undergoing extensive modernization and capacity expansion programs, with the military budget increasing from around $300 million in 2005 to $2.46 billion in 2009. The total armed forces number 56,840 personnel in the land forces, 7,900 personnel in the air force and air defence force, and 2,200 personnel in the navy. There are also 19,500 personnel in the National Guard, State Border Service, and Internal Troops.C. W. Blandy Azerbaijan: Is War Over Nagornyy Karabakh a Realistic Option? Advanced Research and Assessment Group. Caucasus Series 08/17. — Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, 2008, p.12 In addition, there are 300,000 former service personnel who have had military service in the last 15 years. The military hardware of Azerbaijan consists of 220 main battle tanks, an additional 162 T-80 battle tanks were acquired between 2005 and 2010, 595 armored combat vehicles and 270 artillery systems. The air force has about 106 aircraft and 35 helicopters. The IISS list 37 fighter aircraft, 15 fighter-ground attack aircraft, four transport aircraft, 50 training aircraft (including five combat capable trainers), 15 attack helicopters, and 20 transport helicopters
Azerbaijan has acceded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapons state. Azerbaijan participates in NATO's Partnership for Peace. Azerbaijan joined the multi-national force in 2003. It sent 150 troops to Iraq, and later troops to Kosovo. Azerbaijani troops have also served in Afghanistan.
Despite the rise in Azerbaijan's defence budget,Blandy, 'Azerbaijan: Is War Over Nagornyy Karabakh a Realistic Option?, 2008, p.6, quoting http://nvo.ng.ru/wars/2007-02-09/2_poroh.html Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye 9 February 2007. the armed forces were assessed in 2008 as not having a high state of battle readiness and being ill-prepared for wide scale combat operations.Blandy, 2008, p.7 Azeri victory in the Second Karabakh War in late 2020 demonstrated how significantly Azerbaijan's military capabilities had grown. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | History of the Azerbaijani armed forces | History of the Azerbaijani armed forces |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Azerbaijan Democratic Republic | Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
thumb|175px|left|Two Azerbaijani soldiers, members of the Guba military unit of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1919)
The history of the modern Azerbaijan army dates back to Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) in 1918, when the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan were created on 26 June 1918. First de facto Minister of Defense of ADR was Dr. Khosrov bey Sultanov. When the Ministry was formally established, Gen. Samedbey Mehmandarov became the minister, and Lt-Gen. Ali-Agha Shikhlinski his deputy. Chiefs of Staff of ADR Army were Lt-Gen. Maciej Sulkiewicz (March 1919 – 10 December 1919) and Maj-Gen. Abdulhamid bey Gaitabashi (10 December 1919 – April 1920).Azerbaijani Army marks 91 years
The Red Army invaded Azerbaijan on 28 April 1920. Although the bulk of the newly formed Azerbaijani army was engaged in putting down an Armenian revolt that had just broken out in Karabakh, the Azerbaijanis did not surrender their brief independence of 1918–20 quickly or easily. As many as 20,000 of the total 30,000 soldiers died resisting what was effectively a Russian reconquest.Hugh Pope, "Sons of the conquerors: the rise of the Turkic world", New York: The Overlook Press, 2006, p. 116, The national Army of Azerbaijan was abolished by the Bolshevik government, 15 of the 21 army generals were executed by the Bolsheviks.
thumb|Officers of the army of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918 |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Russian Civil War | Russian Civil War
After the Sovietisation of Azerbaijan, the newly formed Azerbaijani Red Army replaced the previous army, taking part in the Russian Civil War, and the invasion of Georgia. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | World War II | World War II
thumb|Cadets of the Baku Higher All-Arms Command School during a parade in Baku in 1960
During World War II, Azerbaijan played a crucial role in the strategic energy policy of Soviet Union. Much of the Soviet Union's oil on the Eastern Front was supplied by Baku. By a decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in February 1942, the commitment of more than 500 workers and employees of the oil industry of Azerbaijan was recognised with orders and medals.
Operation Edelweiss carried out by the German Wehrmacht targeted Baku because of the importance of its oil fields to the USSR.Swietochowski, Tadeusz(1995) Russia and Azerbaijan: A Borderland in Transition, Columbia University, p. 133. Some 800,000 Azerbaijanis fought within the ranks of the Soviet Army of which 400,000 died. Azerbaijani national formations of the Red Army included the 223rd, 227th, 396th, 402nd, and 416th Rifle Divisions. Azerbaijani Major-General Hazi Aslanov was awarded a second Hero of the Soviet Union after a long post-war fight for recognition of his accomplishments. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Dissolution of the Soviet armed forces | Dissolution of the Soviet armed forces
During the Cold War, Azerbaijan had been the deployment area of units of the Soviet 4th Army whose principal formations in 1988 included four motor rifle divisions (23rd Guards, 60th, 75th, and 295th). The 75th Motor Rifle Division was isolated in Nakhchivan. The 4th Army also included missile and air defense brigades and artillery and rocket regiments. The 75th Division's stores and equipment were apparently transferred to the Nakhchivan authorities.See reference at 7th Guards Army article. Azerbaijan also hosted the 49th Arsenal of the Soviet Main Agency of Missiles and Artillery, which contained over 7,000 train-car loads of ammunition to the excess of one billion units.
The first president of Azerbaijan, Ayaz Mutallibov, did not wish to build an independent army, wanting to rely instead largely on Soviet troops. Even when the Parliament decided that an army should be formed in September 1991, disagreements between the government and the opposition Azerbaijani Popular Front Party impeded creation of a unified force.International Crisis Group, Azerbaijan: Defence Sector Management and Reform Crisis Group Europe Briefing N°50, 29 October 2008, p.3 Around this time, the first unit of the new army was formed on the basis of the 18–110 military unit of mechanized infantry of the Soviet Ground Forces (probably part of the 4th Army) located in Shikhov, south of Baku. At the time of the parliamentary decision, Lieutenant-General Valeh Barshadli became the first Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan, from 5 September to 11 December 1991. Later from May to 4 September 1992 he served as Chief of General Staff of Azerbaijani Armed Forces. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Newly formed military | Newly formed military
thumb|A Guard of Honor during a parade in Baku in 1966
In summer 1992, the nascent Defense Ministry received a resolution by the Azerbaijani president on the takeover of units and formations in Azerbaijani territory. It then forwarded an ultimatum to Moscow demanding control over vehicles and armaments of the 135th and 139th Motor Rifle Regiments of the 295th Motor Rifle Division.Vladimir Petrov, How South Caucasus was armed , Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (Moscow, Russia) In July 1992, Azerbaijan ratified the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), which establishes comprehensive limits on key categories of conventional military equipment.
The transfer of the property of the 4th Army (except for part of the property of the 366th Motor Rifle Regiment of the 23rd Guards Motor Rifle Division captured by Armenian armed formations in 1992 during the regiment's withdrawal from Stepanakert) and the 49th arsenal was completed in 1992. Thus, by the end of 1992, Azerbaijan received arms and military hardware sufficient for approximately four motor rifle divisions with prescribed army units. It also inherited naval ships. There are also reports that 50 combat aircraft from the disbanded 19th Army of the Soviet Air Defence Forces came under Azerbaijani control.
“Full-fledged work on the creation of a national army in Azerbaijan began only in November 1993, when the ..situation.. began to stabilize.”JPRS Report. Central Eurasia: Military Affairs, 1995 Articles for draft evasion and desertion were introduced.
The Azerbaijani armed forces took a series of devastating defeats by Armenian forces during the 1992–1994 Nagorno-Karabakh War, which resulted in the loss of control of Nagorno-Karabakh proper and seven surrounding rayons, comprising roughly 20% of the territory of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani sources insist that Armenian victory was largely due to military help from Russia and the wealthy Armenian diaspora. Armenians partially deny the allegation, claiming that Russian side was equally supplying Armenian and Azerbaijani sides with weapons and mercenaries. During the war, the Azerbaijani armed forces were also aided by Turkish military advisers, and Russian, Ukrainian, Chechen and Afghan mercenaries.
Azerbaijan approved the CFE flank agreement in May 1997. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | 21st century | 21st century
A number of Azerbaijani human rights groups have been tracking non-combat deaths and have noted an upward trend in the early 2010s. Based on Defense Ministry statistics that had not been released to the public, the Group of Monitoring Compliance with Human Rights in the Army (GMCHRA) has recorded the deaths of 76 soldiers to date in non-combat incidents for 2011, and the injury of 91 others. In comparison, there were 62 non-combat deaths and 71 cases of injury in 2010. The string of non-combat deaths raises questions about the reform progress of the military. Factors behind the deaths include bullying, hazing, and the systemic corruption within the Azerbaijani Armed Forces (see Corruption in Azerbaijan).
In 2017, Azerbaijani authorities used large scale torture (the Tartar Case) on Azerbaijani military personnel accused of treason. Generals Nacmeddin Sadikhov and Hikmet Hasanov were accused of torturing Azerbaijani officers and soldiers and according to the authorities and human rights defenders, more than 400 people were subjected to torture in the course of the case. The Azerbaijani authorities claimed one person was killed as a result, while human rights defenders say the number is about 13, and many were wrongfully convicted and given hefty prison sentences. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Second Karabakh War | Second Karabakh War
The Second Karabakh War (also known in Azerbaijan as "The Patriotic War" or "Operation Iron Fist") began on the morning of 27 September 2020 when Azerbaijan launched an offensive along the Line of Contact. On the seventh day of the war, a major offensive was launched by the ground forces, advancing in the north, making some territorial gains while the fighting gradually shifted to the south. Following the capture of Shusha, the second-largest settlement in Nagorno-Karabakh, by Azerbaijani forces, a ceasefire agreement was signed between Azerbaijan, and Armenia, ending all hostilities in the area. Under the agreement, Armenia returned the surrounding territories it occupied in 1994 to Azerbaijan while Azerbaijan gained land access to its Nakhchivan exclave. Total casualties were in the low thousands.
During the war, the Azerbaijani army was widely accused of committing war crimes against Armenian soldiers and civilians. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International both condemned Azerbaijan's “indiscriminate” shelling of Armenian civilians, including the use of cluster munitions. In addition, videos of Azerbaijani soldiers mistreating or executing captive Armenians were circulated online and received widespread condemnation.
On 10 December, a victory parade was held in honor of the Azerbaijani Army on Azadliq Square, with 3,000 soldiers marching alongside military equipment, unmanned aerial vehicles and aircraft.
In August 2022, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination expressed deep concern regarding "severe and grave human rights violations committed during 2020 hostilities and beyond by the Azerbaijani military forces against prisoners of war and other protected persons of Armenian ethnic or national origin, including extrajudicial killings, torture and other ill-treatment and arbitrary detention as well as the destruction of houses, schools, and other civilian facilities." |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Structure | Structure |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Command | Command
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, there have been attempts in the defence ministry to reform the military to be more in line with the Turkish/NATO model, resulting in Soviet-legacy officers such as Rovshan Akbarov and Najmeddin Sadikov being removed from power.
Azerbaijan periodically holds drills to improve interaction and combat coordination between the servicemen during operations, its military personnel's combat readiness, as well as to develop commanders' military decision-making and unit management skills. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Land Forces | Land Forces
right|thumb|Azerbaijan has a dozen 300mm salvo rocket systems 9A52 "Smerch" with a range of 70-.
The Azerbaijani Land Forces number 85,000 strong, according to UK Advanced Research and Assessment Group estimates. The 2,500 men of the National Guard are also part of the ground forces. In addition, there are 300,000 former service personnel who have had military service in the last 15 years. Other paramilitary agencies consist of Interior Ministry Internal Troops of Azerbaijan, 12,000 strong, and the land component of the State Border Service, 5,000 strong.
Azerbaijan has signed numerous contracts to strengthen its armed forces and to train its military with Turkey's assistance. Over the last 15 years, Azerbaijan has been preparing its military for possible action against Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh.thumb|Azerbaijani Army order of battle
The Land Forces consist of five army corps:
1st Army Corps also known as Barda Army Corps (concentrated near Ganja)
2nd Army Corps also known as Beylagan Army Corps (concentrated against Armenian occupied territories and part is deployed on the Azerbaijan-Iranian border)
3rd Army Corps also known as Shamkir Army Corps (concentrated against Armenian occupied territories)
4th Army Corps also known as Baku Army Corps (covers Absheron Peninsula and the coast)
Nakhchivan Separate Combined Arms Army (deployed in Nakhchivan)
The Land Forces include 23 motor rifle brigades, an artillery brigade, a multiple rocket launcher brigade, and an anti-tank regiment. The IISS Military Balance reported in 2007 that the Land Forces had an estimated 40 SA-13 Gopher, SA-4 Ganef, and SA-8 Gecko air defence missile systems, with '80–240 eff.' to support the army in the battlefield. (IISS 2007, p. 157)
The peacekeeping forces of Azerbaijan are mostly supplied from the Land Forces, though the Internal Troops of Azerbaijan do also supply some. As of March 2011, 94 peacekeepers were deployed with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. In the past, it also actively supported the peacekeeping operation in Kosovo and Iraq.
The Azerbaijani peacekeeping unit deployed in Iraq consisted of 14 officers, 16 sergeants and 120 privates, a total of 150 troops. The unit secured the hydroelectric power station and reservoir in Al Haditha from August 2003. In December 2008, Azerbaijan withdrew the unit from Iraq.
Reportedly in December 2014 Azerbaijan created the Separate Combined Arms Army in Nakhchivan. Karam Mustafayev became commander of the corps. The army was created based on the Nakhchivan 5th Army Corps to strengthen defense capability of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, increase of combat capability of military units and formations of the Armed Forces, improve central control, reports quoting the Defence Ministry said. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Air forces | Air forces
The Azerbaijani Air and Air Defence Force is a single unified service branch.Jane's Sentinel Security Assessments – Russia and the CIS: Air Force, dated 18 June 2009, and Some 8,000 men serve in the air force and air defence force. The Air and Air Defence Force has around 106 aircraft and 35 helicopters. The country has four major airbases. Nasosnaya (air base) has fighters, Kyurdamir Air Base a bomber regiment, Ganja Air Base transports, and Baku Kala Air Base the helicopter unit. There are also four other airbases which do not appear to have aircraft based there. These are Dollyar Air Base, Nakhchivan Airport, Sanqacal Air Base, and Sitalcay Air Base.
The Azerbaijani Air Force using MiG-21, Su-24 and Su-25 aircraft, as well as the MiG-29 purchased from Ukraine in 2006 and Il-76 transport aircraft. The MiG-29 have been designated as the standard aircraft for the AzAF. Azerbaijan is holding talks with either the People's Republic of China or Pakistan to purchase JF-17 Thunder aircraft. MiG-25s previously in service have been retired seemingly in the 2007–09 period.
Azerbaijan's helicopter force is concentrated at Baku Kala Air Base and according to the IISS consists of a single regiment with around 14–15 Mi-24, 12–13 Mi-8 and 7 Mi-2. Jane's Information Group and the IISS give figures which agree with only a single aircraft's difference. Recently, end of 2010 Russian Rosvertol announced that Azerbaijan armed forces signed a deal for 24 pieces of Mi-35M (Hind-E) gunships what would further enhance the Azerbaijani ground attack formations.
The Air Force has L-39 advanced training aircraft in store. The Azerbaijan Border Guard and Voluntary Society of Defense, Patriotism and Sport have Yakovlev light training aircraft.
thumb|S-300 PMU2 during a military parade in Baku 2011
Azerbaijan has missile and radar systems intended to defend Azerbaijani airspace. There are at least 2 divisions of S-300PMU2. Thereby the country has one of the most capable SAM surface-to-air missile system in the region. Azerbaijan also operates two S-200 (SA-5 GAMMON) batteries near Baku and Mingachevir; the S-300PMU-2 represents a logical replacement for these systems offering coverage of the majority of the nation. The country also has about 100 NATO designated SA-2 Guideline (original name S-75), SA-3 Goa (S-125 Pechora-2M), and the SA-5 Gammon (S-200) are in static installations.IISS Military Balance 2007, p. 158 These may be around Baku and the central part to cover the whole Azerbaijani aerospace.
However, August 2011 investigations shows that after purchase of S-300 surface-to-air missiles, the largest apparent gap in Azerbaijan's air defense system may have been filled.
Also in Azerbaijan there was a former Soviet early warning radar. The Gabala Radar Station was a bistatic phased-array installation, operated by the Russian Space Forces. The contract was signed in 2002 and was due to expire in 2012 where it was to be given back to the Azerbaijani government. The contract costed Russia $7 million per year. The radar station had a range of up to , and was designed to detect intercontinental ballistic missile launches as far as from the Indian Ocean. In December 2012 Russia announced that negotiations had been unsuccessful and that they had stopped using the radar station. The site was given back to Azerbaijan and all the equipment dismantled and transported to Russia. Nowadays, Russia covers the area from the Armavir Radar Station. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Navy | Navy
The main naval base of the Soviet Union in the Caspian Sea was based in Baku. When the Soviet Union collapsed, Azerbaijan inherited the naval base and parts of the Caspian Sea Flotilla. The Azerbaijan Navy has about 2,200 personnel.Jane's Fighting Ships, 2010, accessed February 2010. IISS 2007 attributes 2,000 personnel. In 2010, the navy had a Petya class light frigate, Qusar (G 121), and a number of patrol craft, including one Turk class, Araz, P 223, one Brya (Project 722) class, P 218, one Shelon (Project 1388M) class, P 212, one Poluchat class (Project 368), P 219, one Luga class (Project 888), T 710, and four Petrushka (Polish UK-3 class), P 213, P 214, P 215, and P 216. There are four minesweepers consisting of 2 Sonya class minesweeper and 2 Yevgenya class minesweepers. (Jane's Fighting Ships 2010)
The Navy is also attributed with 5 landing craft, 3 Polnochny and 2 Vydra (IISS 2007), plus three research ships, 1 Project 10470, A 671, ex Svyaga, 1 Balerian Uryvayev class survey vessel (AG) and one Vadim Popov class survey vessel (AG).
The U.S. Navy has helped train the Azerbaijani Navy. There is also an agreement to provide US support to refurbish Azerbaijani warships in the Caspian Sea. In 2006, the US Government donated 3 motorboats to the Azerbaijani Navy. In 2007, an agreement between the Azerbaijani Navy and a US military company was concluded, which stated that a part of the Azerbaijani Navy would be equipped with advanced laser marksmanship systems. The US company specialists were also to give training on the use of the new equipment. A number of separate U.S. programmes are underway under the Caspian Guard Initiative, focused mostly on enhancing Azerbaijani and Kazakh maritime border security.
In May 2011, the president of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic Rovnag Abdullayev stated that Azerbaijan would start production of national warships after 2013.
The Naval Intelligence of Azerbaijan maintains the 641st Special Warfare Naval Unit. The special forces were trained by the U.S. Navy SEALs Unit 641 has several midget submarines such as Triton-1M and Triton 2 at their disposal as well as underwater tool motion for individual divers. The special unit is composed of 3 reconnaissance groups, 2 groups for mountainous warfare, and one diving group. Obligatory training includes parachute jumping day and night, on land and on water. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Special forces | Special forces
The Special Forces of Azerbaijan are part of the Ministry of Defence. It was established in April 1999 with officers and warrant officers who had participated in the First Nagorno-Karabakh War of 1991–1994. The Turkish Special Forces Command played a role in the formation of the unit. During the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, personnel of the Special Forces reclaimed the city of Jebrayil and nine surrounding villages from the Armenian Army. On November 8, Aliyev congratulated the commander of the Special Forces on their "liberation of Shusha". The war was considered to be first time Azerbaijan has actively used all of its special forces units.thumb|Members of the Azerbaijani Special Forces during a military parade in Baku 2011 |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Defense industry | Defense industry
thumb|The Marauder is a South African MRAP manufactured under license in Azerbaijan.
The Ministry of Defence Industry of Azerbaijan directs domestic military supplies for Azerbaijan. It was established in 2005. The Defence Industries Ministry subsumed the State Department for Military Industry and for Armaments and the Military Science Center, each of which was formerly a separate agency within the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.
The defense industry has emerged as an autonomous entity with a growing production capability. The ministry is cooperating with the defense sectors of Ukraine, Belarus and Pakistan. Along with other contracts, Azerbaijani defence industries and Turkish companies, Azerbaijan will produce 40mm revolver grenade launchers, 107mm and 122mm MLRS systems, Cobra 4×4 vehicles and joint modernization of BTR vehicles in Baku.Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense Industry plans to assume several projects on technical modernization of Armed Forces Azerbaijani Defense Industry Ministry conducts negotiations with Turkish "Otokar" Company on production of armored vehicles
The major military companies of Azerbaijan are:
RPE Iglim, aviation and shipbuilding
Radiogurashdirma, communication means and radio-electronic
RPE Neftgazavtomat, devices and automation systems for monitoring technological processes
RPE Automatic Lines, non-standard equipment and products for application in electrotechnical and machine engineering
Avia-Agregat, multi-purpose aviation equipment, various airdrome conditioners, universal container of board conductor, air-to-air radiators, fuel-oil, air-to-air heat exchangers and ventilatorsAircraft Repair Plant of Azerbaijan to be reconstructed
In early 2008, reports indicated that an agreement with Turkey had been signed which would lead to Azerbaijan producing armoured personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and small calibre artillery pieces. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | International cooperation | International cooperation
Azerbaijan cooperates with about 60 countries in the military-technical sphere and has an agreement on military-technical cooperation with more than 30 countries. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Turkey | Turkey
thumb|right|Azerbaijani Special Forces unit in Turkish manufactured Otokar Cobra
In December 2009, an agreement on military assistance was signed by Turkey and Azerbaijan. The agreement envisions Ankara supplying Azerbaijan with weapons, military equipment, and, if necessary, soldiers in case war with Armenia over Karabakh resumes.
Turkey has provided Azerbaijan with infantry weapons, tactical vehicles (jeeps, trucks, etc.) professional training, military organization, technology transfer, licensed military hardware production, and other services. Due to help from Turkish specialists and instructors, thousands of Azerbaijani officers have been trained to western standards.NATO, Azerbaijani troops part of the KFOR family
The military position as an area of international importance of Azerbaijan increased with an agreement between Azerbaijan and Turkey on the participation of an Azerbaijani peacekeeping platoon in the staff of the Turkish battalion in Kosovo.Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, List of the military documents signed between the Republic of Turkey and Republic of Azerbaijan
Since 1992, Azerbaijan and Turkey have signed more than 100 military protocols, some of the major protocols include:List of the military documents signed between the Republic of Turkey and Republic of Azerbaijan
Cooperation of staff members
National security cooperation in the topographical area
Forming and training of professional school of forces in Baku
Carrying out of the material and technical purchasing
Military industry cooperation
Development of the 5th Army Corps also known as Nakhchivan Army Corps in NakhchivanIn 2001, between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the General Staff of the Republic of Turkey on development of Nakhchivan 5th army protocol
Cooperation in the area of military history, military archives and museum work and military publication
Assistance on training, material and technical between the Azerbaijan Border Guard and the Turkish Armed Forces.
Long-term economical and military cooperation and application of the financial aid
Application of material and technical provision
In May 2011, Azerbaijan had discussed the purchase of long-range rockets from two Chinese companies, the minister of the defence industry has said. Other arms deals were signed with Turkey. Turkish Defence Minister Vecdi Gonul and Yaver Jamalov signed a protocol of intent on future joint production of two types of output – 107-mm rockets and the national rifle, possibly the Mehmetçik-1. A protocol of intent was signed the same day with the Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation MKEK on the joint production of 120-mm mortar launchers. This project will come into force in a few months time. Agreement has also been reached with Turkish company Aselsan on the production of some types of defence output in Azerbaijan, specifically the latest types of weapons' sights. These projects will probably happen in the near future too. Recently, Turkish defense industries secretariat told that an export version of the T-155 Firtina self-propelled howitser is almost done and could start production. T-155 has been powered by a German MTU power pack, which restricts the sale to some countries like Azerbaijan. The Turkish manufacturer MKEK, has announced that they have found an alternate supplier for the power pack where Azerbaijan showed interest to buy the high tech, more capable 155mm 52 caliber from Turkish authorities. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | United States | United States
thumb|Nasosnaya Air Base in Azerbaijan. Gen. Tom Hobbins, U.S. Air Forces in Europe commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Gary Coleman, USAFE command chief, Lt. Col. Elmar Hüseynov.
Section 907 of the United States Freedom Support Act bans any kind of direct United States aid to the Azerbaijani government. Since a waiver was made in 2001 there has been extensive U.S. military cooperation with Azerbaijan. This has included Special Forces and naval aid, consultations with United States European Command, and linkages through the U.S. National Guard State Partnership Program.
On 19 May 2006, Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev and the then commander of United States Air Forces in Europe General Tom Hobbins met in Baku to discuss military cooperation. He said the objective of his visit was to become familiar with the state of Azerbaijani armed forces. Hobbins pointed to the progress made in the NATO-Azerbaijan relations, saying that the successful implementation of the NATO Partnership for Peace program in Azerbaijan has brought the country even closer to the alliance. He said that the two countries' air forces will expand cooperation.
The U.S. state of Oklahoma is linked with Azerbaijan through the U.S. National Guard State Partnership Program (SPP). Oklahoma National Guard troops have been sent on training and humanitarian missions to Baku. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Russia | Russia
Russia is one of Azerbaijan's main suppliers of arms. "As of today, military and technical cooperation with Russia is measured at $4 billion and it tends to grow further," President Ilham Aliyev said after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Baku in 2013.Azeri-Russian Arms Trade $4 Billion Amid Tension With Armenia By Zulfugar Agayev 13 August 2013 |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Israel | Israel
Azerbaijan and Israel cooperate on numerous areas of the defense industry. Israel was Azerbaijan's largest weapon supplier with $4.85 billion in sales during 2016 alone. As of 2023, Turkey was Azerbaijan's largest weapon supplier. Azerbaijan has shown great interest in Israeli technology over the years. In particular, an agreement was reached over the construction of the factory of intelligence and combat drones in Azerbaijan.Washington briefing: Israel, Azerbaijan to step up military cooperation
The Israeli defense company Elta Systems Ltd has had cooperation from Azerbaijan in building the TecSAR reconnaissance satellite system, which can take high-definition photos of ground surfaces in all weather conditions.Ninan Koshy, "India and Israel Eye Iran ", Foreign Policy in Focus, 13 February 2008. According to Azerbaijani military experts, the TecSAR system will be indispensable for military operations in the mountainous terrains of Azerbaijan.
As of June 2009, Israel and Azerbaijan had been negotiating on the production of Namer armoured infantry fighting vehicles in Azerbaijan.Panarmenian.net panarmenian – Israel rearms Azerbaijani army , 30 June 2009 There is no further information as to whether any agreement has been made. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | NATO | NATO
thumb|Azerbaijan deployed 150 peacekeepers during the Iraq War.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Azerbaijan cooperate. Azerbaijan's Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) and its Partnership for Peace (PfP) linkages lay out the programme of cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO.
The Azerbaijani government has however delayed implementing IPAP-recommended reforms, however, in part at least because no decision had been taken to seek NATO membership. This is because Azerbaijan's foreign policy 'seeks to balance interests with the U.S., EU, Russia and Iran.'International Crisis Group, Azerbaijan: Defence Sector Reform and Management, Europe Briefing No.50, Baku/Tbilisi/Brussels, 29 October 2008, p.1
According to a NATO diplomatic source some key officials at NATO headquarters in Brussels were pushing hard for engaging Azerbaijan on the membership question. "Turkey, Romania, Italy, Poland, the United Kingdom and the Baltic states," are among the member-states also backing a fast track for Azerbaijan's NATO membership.
However, Azerbaijan made its policy of not being aligned with a geopolitical/military structure official when it became a full member of the Non-Aligned Movement in 2011.
There is also a limited amount of military cooperation with the other countries of GUAM: Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova. |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Personnel | Personnel |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Educational system | Educational system
thumb|The Cadets of the Corps of Drums of the Jamshid Nakhchivanski Military Lyceum
thumb|Azerbaijani higher military cadets
The purpose of Azerbaijani military education and training is to train soldiers, officers, and non-commissioned officers to have independent and creative thinking and commitment to the Azerbaijani people and the government. Military education in the Azerbaijani Armed Forces have been described as either being secondary education, further education, or higher education.
Azerbaijani pilots were formerly trained in the Azerbaijan Air Force School, where they would then develop their skills in operational units. Azerbaijan has an experience exchange with Turkey, Ukraine, the United States and a number of NATO countries. The Turkish Air Force School has a great role in the training of Azerbaijani military pilots. Azerbaijani pilots are also trained in Ukraine's Pilot Training School.Azerbaijan’s military aviation opportunities
The following is a list of educational institutions in the armed forces, under the auspices of the National Defense University:
Military academies
War College of the Armed Forces
Training and Education Center of the Armed Forces
Azerbaijan Higher Military Academy
Azerbaijan Higher Naval Academy (former independent institution)
Azerbaijan High Military Aviation School (former independent institution)
Other educational institutions
Secondary Military Medical School of Azerbaijan
Military Medical Faculty of Azerbaijan Medical University
Military lyceums
Jamshid Nakhchivanski Military Lyceum
Heydar Aliyev Military Lyceum |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Conscription | Conscription |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Military Justice | Military Justice
Military Courts act as courts of first instance deals. The Military Court is composed of a President and judges. The following military courts exist in Azerbaijan:
Military Court of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic
Baku Military Court (formed in August 1992)
Ganja Military Court
Lankaran Military Court
Fuzuli-Gubadli Military Court
Tartar Military Court
Agdam Military Court
Gazakh Military Court
Sumgait Military Court |
Azerbaijani Armed Forces | Women and ethnic minorities in the armed forces | Women and ethnic minorities in the armed forces
During the first war, Russians, who were a large minority in Azerbaijan at the time, served in the units of the Azerbaijani Army, many of whom formerly served in the Soviet Army. According to the Russian Ministry of Defence more than 300 officers of the 7th Army, based in the capital of Baku, refused to leave Azerbaijan at the outset of the war. During the Second Karabakh War, the death of an ethnic Russian Azerbaijani soldier, Dmitry Solntsev, was reported.Ethnic Russian soldier dies in the battle to liberate Azerbaijani lands from Armenian occupation There was also Denis Aliyev (born as Denis Pronin) from the Xətai raion, who was killed in Jabrayil. He was later posthumously awarded the Medal "For the Liberation of Jabrayil" in December. Cossacks, associated with the Association of Cossacks of Azerbaijan, often join the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.
Female military personnel in the military are generally involved in education, office work, medical care, and the development of international cooperation. They also serve in the rear, signal troops, and intelligence forces. Women are exempt from conscription, which means that female service is purely on a voluntary basis. There are currently 1,000 female personnel in the Azerbaijani military, accounting for 3% of the armed forces. During the Karabakh Conflict, 2,000 of the 74,000 Azerbaijani soldiers were women, and 600 of them directly took part in military operations, with a women's battalion being established in 1992. The enrollment of females in Azerbaijani higher military schools began in 1999. According to soldier Tehrana Bahruzi in her book, “Zakir Hasanov: the Ideal Minister", Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov was responsible for launching the first female unit in the Special Forces of Azerbaijan. In October 2020, the first female military casualty was reported, a combat medic who died while taking wounded soldiers from the battlefield. |
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