Azerbaijan has long understood the importance of fostering strong relations with its Central Asian neighbours as the country is strategically located at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
In the aftermath of the 2020 Second Karabakh War, Azerbaijan has increasingly focused on deepening ties with Central Asia, ensuring that the region’s priorities remain intact while positioning itself as a vital link between the region and the West.
This shift in foreign policy reflects the country's growing role in the broader geopolitical landscape, as it actively participates in regional initiatives and consultative meetings.
As Azerbaijan continues to navigate its role within the C6 framework, comprising of Central Asian states and external partners—it seeks to strengthen relationships and mutual support without overshadowing the region's primary focus.
Roza Bayramli, leading advisor at the Air Centre, shared her insights with AnewZ on how Azerbaijan can strategically position itself within the C6 framework without shifting the group's focus away from Central Asia.
Speaking on AnewZ's Daybreak programme, Bayramli emphasised that Azerbaijan’s relationship with Central Asia has been a central priority for its foreign policy since the Second Karabakh War.
Bayramli noted that the Central Asian states were among the first to support Azerbaijan's efforts during the war, which laid the foundation for deeper collaboration.
"The relations with Central Asia were among the priorities of the foreign policy of Azerbaijan," she said.
She also highlighted how this growing partnership led to Azerbaijan’s active participation in regional consultative meetings.
“In 2023 and 2024, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, participated in the format of the consultative meetings as a guest of honour at the invitation of the president of Tajikistan and the president of Kazakhstan,” she explained.
Bayramli emphasised that Azerbaijan’s involvement in the C6 format, particularly in the consultative meetings, was a natural outcome of this long-standing cooperation.
Azerbaijan’s role, she stated, is not one of dominance but rather of collaboration, where consensus and voluntary participation are key.
"Here we can say more about cooperation but not the dominating of one party in the consultative meetings," she clarified.
She elaborated on Azerbaijan’s position as a bridge to several critical pathways in the region enhancing regional and international cooperation.
“Azerbaijan is mainly a bridge connecting the Central Asian states to Western partners and through the Caspian Sea, through South Caucasus region,” she said.
Bayramli also addressed the internal dynamics of Central Asia, noting that no one country dominates the region or the C6 meetings.
"Among the Central Asian states itself, like within the region, there is no dominant state at all. So, these meetings, this format is mainly based on consensus and on a voluntary basis," she said.
Azerbaijan see its role within the C6 framework to reflect a strategic, cooperative approach aimed at strengthening ties with Central Asia while maintaining the region’s focus.
As Roza Bayramli emphasised, Azerbaijan seeks to facilitate collaboration without shitfing focus away from crucial needs of the region.
Azerbaijan’s position as a bridge between Central Asia and the West is set to continue to offer new opportunities for regional and global cooperation, all while fostering deeper mutual understanding and respect within the C6 framework.
Sanctions are a long-used tool designed as an alternative to military force and with the objective of changing governments’ behaviour, but they also...
Azerbaijan’s participation in the United States-backed Board of Peace reflects a clear calculation of national interest, according to Chingiz Mammad...
Millions of people in Britain are struggling to afford basic necessities, with a new report warning that the number living in the deepest levels of po...
A clock in a Tel Aviv square that became a rallying point for Israelis demanding the release of hostages taken during the October 2023 Hamas attack wa...
Turkish defence firm Aselsan announced on Monday that it had signed a deal with the NATO alliance, of which Türkiye is a longstanding member, for the...
Sanctions are a long-used tool designed as an alternative to military force and with the objective of changing governments’ behaviour, but they also end up hurting civilian citizens.
Azerbaijan’s participation in the United States-backed Board of Peace reflects a clear calculation of national interest, according to Chingiz Mammadov, Research Alumni of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the Woodrow Wilson International Center.
Turkish defence firm Aselsan announced on Monday that it had signed a deal with the NATO alliance, of which Türkiye is a longstanding member, for the supply of “Identification of Friend or Foe” (IFF) interrogator systems for use with Man-Portable Air Defense Systems, or MANPADS.
Secret negotiations between U.S. officials and the Taliban over remaining American detainees have stalled, after the Taliban publicly tied any further releases to the fate of the last Afghan held at Guantánamo Bay, according to a report by The New York Times published on 26 January 2026.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has activated the state’s National Guard following the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis, an incident that has triggered protests and intensified tensions between state and federal authorities.
Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez said on Sunday the country should not fear pursuing energy ties with the United States, as Caracas seeks to expand oil and gas production and attract foreign investment.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has strongly rejected a U.S. magazine report on the death toll during January unrest. Nationwide protests erupted in response to soaring inflation and a national currency crisis.
A mosaic portrait of Pope Leo XIV was illuminated on Sunday at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, continuing a centuries-old Vatican tradition marking the election of a new pope.
Diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine remain stalled after talks in Abu Dhabi ended without an agreement. Moscow has since ruled out dialogue with the EU’s top diplomat.
Sanctions are a long-used tool designed as an alternative to military force and with the objective of changing governments’ behaviour, but they also end up hurting civilian citizens.
Azerbaijan’s participation in the United States-backed Board of Peace reflects a clear calculation of national interest, according to Chingiz Mammadov, Research Alumni of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the Woodrow Wilson International Center.
A clock in a Tel Aviv square that became a rallying point for Israelis demanding the release of hostages taken during the October 2023 Hamas attack was turned off on Tuesday, 844 days after it began counting their captivity.
Turkish defence firm Aselsan announced on Monday that it had signed a deal with the NATO alliance, of which Türkiye is a longstanding member, for the supply of “Identification of Friend or Foe” (IFF) interrogator systems for use with Man-Portable Air Defense Systems, or MANPADS.
Secret negotiations between U.S. officials and the Taliban over remaining American detainees have stalled, after the Taliban publicly tied any further releases to the fate of the last Afghan held at Guantánamo Bay, according to a report by The New York Times published on 26 January 2026.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment