Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Vitaly Naumkin, director of the Institute of Oriental Studies
In my view, the interaction between Azerbaijan and the Middle East, in principle, is mainly economic.
If we talk about the Middle East as a whole, there is uneasy relationship between Azerbaijan and Iran, on the one hand, and between Azerbaijan and the forces that support jihadist groups on the other hand.
We know that Azerbaijan as a whole constrains and holds under very strict control those Shiite groups which, in its view, are sponsored by Iran.
In Azerbaijan, there is some concern about the threats that come from Iran, and, apparently, Azerbaijan's cooperation with Israel is related to this.
But it is also due to the confrontation between Armenia and Azerbaijan that exists, the unresolved Karabakh conflict.
So I would say that one of the objectives of Azerbaijani policy is, of course, to prevent a loosening of the internal order under the influence of those events, seething and turbulent, which are currently taking place in the Middle East.
We can conclude that Azerbaijan has managed to avoid this.
The country remains calm, and stability is preserved.
I think, due to high rates of development and that the state 's economic successes, including using oil revenues, that this is the trend that seems to be predominant.