BAKU, Azerbaijan - Armenia is no longer the defining priority of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy because Baku’s diplomatic agenda now extends far beyond the South Caucasus, Azerbaijani political analyst Farhad Mammadov said.
Mammadov made the assessment in a Telegram commentary titled “The Costs of Independence,” responding to a Minval.az article about Azerbaijan’s ties with competing centers of power. That report summarized a column by Bhupinder Singh in The Daily Pioneer.
Armenia No Longer Defines the Entire Agenda
Mammadov noted that the column examined Azerbaijan’s relations with Turkey, Israel, Russia, China, Pakistan, India and Iran without mentioning Armenia.
He said the omission was indicative of modern Azerbaijan, where Armenia is becoming less central because the country’s foreign-policy reach is wider than the South Caucasus. In his interpretation, relations with Yerevan no longer encompass the full range of Baku’s interests and challenges.
The Costs of an Independent Foreign Policy
Mammadov linked the discussion to several recent information disputes involving Azerbaijan. He cited criticism from some groups in Turkey over the presence of an Azerbaijani diplomat in the U.N. General Assembly hall during a speech by Israel’s prime minister, as well as controversies involving Georgia and European actors.
He argued that an independent foreign policy brings advantages but also creates costs. According to Mammadov, outside forces that lack other means of influencing Baku may turn to information attacks.
He also alleged that provocative material is being promoted for payment in Azerbaijan’s social-media space. The commentary cited by Vesti Baku did not identify specific sponsors or provide evidence of financing.
Mammadov’s broader point was that Azerbaijan’s effort to preserve freedom of action among competing partners inevitably produces friction, particularly when Baku’s choices do not align fully with the expectations of any single ally or bloc.