BAKU - Azerbaijan’s alliance with Türkiye and its interest in cooperation with Iran do not mean Baku should coordinate every foreign-policy decision with its neighbors, Azerbaijani political analyst Ilgar Velizade said.
Velizade made the comments during a Pressclubs TV discussion with Armenian expert Arsen Kharatyan.
According to Velizade, an independent foreign policy inevitably produces friction when neighboring countries or political groups expect Azerbaijan to act in line with their own priorities. Such disagreements, however, do not automatically amount to a crisis in relations.
Türkiye, Israel and Azerbaijan’s Choices
Velizade pointed to disputes surrounding Azerbaijan’s cooperation with Israel. He said some political groups in Türkiye view those ties negatively and use the issue in domestic political debate, while Baku’s interests extend beyond the agenda dominating Turkish politics.
For Azerbaijan, cooperation with Israel includes not only defense supplies but also technology, cybersecurity and energy. Abandoning those areas because of objections from particular groups would restrict Azerbaijan’s options, he argued.
At the same time, Velizade said such disagreements do not threaten the strategic alliance between Azerbaijan and Türkiye. The two countries have too many long-term shared interests for individual disputes to define the broader relationship.
“Each side defends its own interests,” he said.
Pragmatic Interests With Iran
Velizade applied a similar argument to relations with Iran. Tensions periodically rise when circles associated with Iranian military and security institutions attempt to prescribe how Azerbaijan should act, he said.
But mutual interests in transit and trade create incentives for cooperation. Azerbaijan is important to Iran’s transport links with Russia, while the Iranian route gives Baku additional access toward the Persian Gulf states.
A renewed confrontation would impose costs on both countries and could benefit outside actors. For that reason, sharp rhetoric does not always turn into practical escalation, according to Velizade.
Peace Agenda With Armenia
The analyst said the same principle should apply to Azerbaijan’s relations with Armenia: separate incidents should not outweigh the larger prospects for normalization.
Baku and Yerevan retain a pragmatic interest in advancing the peace process, restoring economic connections and building a more predictable regional security environment, he said.
“Incidents will not dominate the peace agenda,” Velizade said.
His central argument is that regional politics remains a balance of interests. Political disputes can be serious, but transport routes, energy ties and economic opportunities give neighboring states reasons to preserve cooperation.
For Azerbaijan, that means developing partnerships without surrendering its right to make independent decisions.
Source: Vesti Baku.