Exploring Azerbaijan's Balkan Connections And Cultural Identity

Azerbaijan is a country in Eastern Europe, while the Balkan Peninsula is a geographical area in southeastern Europe. While there is no universal agreement on what constitutes the Balkans, the following countries are usually included: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia. Portions of Greece and Turkey are also within the Balkan Peninsula. Azerbaijan, therefore, is not a Balkan country, but it has been strengthening its relations with Balkan countries, particularly in the areas of energy cooperation and security.

Azerbaijan's diplomatic relations with Balkan countries

Azerbaijan is not a Balkan country. However, it has been bolstering its cooperation with Balkan countries in recent years. In 2022, the Azerbaijani president, Ilham Aliyev, visited Albania, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Azerbaijan also held talks with Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, and Romania in the latter part of 2022, as well as meetings with the prime ministers of Croatia and Montenegro during the World Economic Forum in January 2023.

Azerbaijan's relations with Balkan countries have been influenced by several factors, including regional tensions, shared history, geography, and common interests. The country has also established itself as a key player in the region's energy sector, supplying natural gas to Bulgaria, Albania, and other Balkan countries through the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).

In addition to energy cooperation, Azerbaijan has also been an important partner for the Balkan countries in other areas. For instance, Baku has provided loans and supported infrastructure projects in Serbia, while Azerbaijan and Bosnia-Herzegovina have a long-standing relationship based on shared cultural heritage and mutual support during difficult times.

The expansion of relations between Azerbaijan and the Balkan countries has led to deepening diplomatic ties and stronger transportation connections. Azerbaijan's strategic focus on the Balkans provides it with access to the Black, Aegean, and Adriatic seas, as well as opportunities for export and transit through Georgia and Turkey.

Overall, Azerbaijan's relations with the Balkan countries have been characterised by mutual respect, pragmatism, and a shared interest in regional stability and economic development.

Azerbaijan's energy cooperation with Balkan countries

Azerbaijan has been bolstering its energy cooperation with Balkan countries, with its gas exports to the region becoming increasingly important amid Russia's war in Ukraine. The country's president, Ilham Aliyev, has made several visits to the Balkans in recent years, including official trips to Albania, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Azerbaijan's energy cooperation with the Balkans includes the following key aspects:

Diversification of Energy Sources:

The country plays a crucial role in helping Balkan states diversify their energy sources away from over-reliance on Russian supplies. The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) transports Azerbaijani natural gas to Europe through Greece and Albania, with plans to eventually reach Italy.

Bilateral Energy Agreements:

Azerbaijan has signed several bilateral agreements with Balkan countries to strengthen energy cooperation. In 2022, it signed a memorandum of understanding with Bulgaria on strategic partnership and cooperation, and it established an Azerbaijani diplomatic mission in Albania.

Regional Energy Projects:

Azerbaijan is involved in several regional energy projects in the Balkans. The Greece-Bulgaria gas interconnector, commissioned in 2022, allows Azerbaijani gas to reach Bulgaria and, in the future, Romania and Ukraine. The planned Ionian-Adriatic Pipeline (IAP) would transport Azerbaijani gas from Albania to Croatia via Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, further reducing the region's dependence on Russian energy.

Green Energy Initiatives:

Azerbaijan and the Balkan countries have also embarked on green energy initiatives. A working group has been formed to lay a 1,195-kilometer electricity cable along the bottom of the Caspian Sea, connecting Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary. Additionally, Azerbaijan has signed contracts to produce more than 25 gigawatts of recovered energy, with Europe as the primary destination for these exports.

Political and Security Cooperation:

The energy cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Balkans is underpinned by shared political and security interests. Both regions have a common history under Soviet influence and face similar challenges, such as territorial integrity issues. Azerbaijan's cooperation with Greece, for example, has helped Athens become one of the most significant energy hubs in the region.

The shared history of the Balkans and the Caucasus

The Balkans and the Caucasus share a history of being a crossroads of civilisations and cultures, with the Black Sea region acting as a bridge between Europe and Asia. The region has been a point of contact between different peoples, religions, and cultures, with various empires vying for control. The Balkans and the Caucasus have both experienced ethnic conflicts, nationalist movements, and the rise and fall of empires, including the Ottoman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Soviet Union.

The Balkans, located in southeastern Europe, encompass countries such as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia. The region has a complex history due to its former inclusion in the country of Yugoslavia, which dissolved in 1992. Additionally, some Balkan states are considered Slavic states due to their Slavic-speaking communities. The Balkans have a diverse geography, with mountain ranges such as the Carpathian Mountains, the Dinaric Mountains, and the Balkan Mountains, as well as seas like the Adriatic, Ionian, Aegean, and Black Sea.

The Caucasus, on the other hand, is a region located between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, serving as a bridge between South Eastern Europe, Anatolia, and Central Asia. It has been a strategically important area throughout history, with empires such as the Persian, Ottoman, and Russian vying for control. The Caucasus is also ethnically diverse, with Northern Caucasus falling within the Russian Federation and Southern Caucasus comprising independent states like Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, as well as contiguous countries like Turkey and Iran.

Both regions have experienced political and social upheaval, with the Balkans gaining a reputation as the most flammable and problematic part of Europe. The end of the Cold War and the collapse of communist regimes further fuelled instability in the Balkans, leading to violent conflicts in the 1990s and early 2000s. Similarly, the Caucasus has witnessed conflicts such as the Azeri-Armenian and Russian-Chechen wars, as well as tensions between Russia and Georgia.

Despite their distinct geographical locations and unique cultural identities, the Balkans and the Caucasus share a history of political and social turmoil, ethnic diversity, and the influence of powerful empires. Their proximity to each other and their position between Europe and Asia have shaped their shared destiny, making them significant regions in global politics and international relations.

The ethno-territorial wars of the 1990s in the Balkans and the Caucasus

Azerbaijan is not considered to be a Balkan country. The Balkans are a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. While there is no universal agreement on what constitutes the region, the following countries are usually included: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia. Portions of Greece and Turkey are also within the Balkan Peninsula.

In the Balkans, the dissolution of Yugoslavia led to wars between the former Yugoslav republics, with Slovenia and Croatia declaring independence in 1991, followed by Macedonia and later Bosnia and Herzegovina, the latter being the most affected by the fighting. The wars in the Balkans prompted the intervention of the United Nations and NATO, which took action against Serb forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina and FR Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro).

The Caucasus region, particularly the South Caucasus, experienced a similar trajectory of violent conflict, ethnic cleansing, and aggressive nationalism in the early 1990s. The specific context and dynamics of the conflicts in the Caucasus varied from those in the Balkans, but they resulted in significant human suffering and the loss of life.

The wars in both regions had lasting impacts on the social, political, and economic fabric of the affected countries, shaping their trajectories in the post-conflict era.

The role of the Balkans in the Syrian refugee crisis

Azerbaijan is not a Balkan country. The Balkans is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria.

Now, onto the role of the Balkans in the Syrian refugee crisis.

The Syrian Civil War, which began in 2011, has resulted in one of the world's largest refugee crises. By 2016, around five million people had crossed into other countries, seeking asylum or placement in Syrian refugee camps. Turkey is the largest host country of registered refugees, with over 3.7 million Syrian refugees.

During the peak of the European migration and refugee crisis, hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers and migrants arrived in the European Union via the Western Balkans. In 2015, 600,000 registered at the Presevo camp alone, on the border of Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The Western Balkans region, comprised of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia, has a history of massive displacement due to violence and ethnic cleansing.

At first, Balkan countries opted to facilitate the movement of asylum seekers through their territories. However, pressure from EU Member States ultimately led to a domino effect of border closures and increasing restrictions on movement. This pushed migrants into more dangerous irregular channels, and many became subject to police violence.

The EU-Turkey Deal of 2016, which aimed to curb migrant flows across the Aegean Sea, also played a significant role in reducing the number of refugees passing through the Balkans. The deal involved returning those who had newly crossed into Greece to Turkey in exchange for financial support and accelerated visa liberalization for Turks.

The impact of the refugee crisis in the Balkans has been profound, both positively and negatively. It has mobilized people throughout the region to unite and channel aid to those in need. However, it has also been exploited by politicians to exchange mutual attacks and invoke war-mongering rhetoric. The crisis has highlighted the need for conflict prevention and a more proactive approach to managing migration, as well as the importance of considering the long-term implications of such crises on the social, economic, and political fabric of the region.

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