Reviving the Great Silk Road- The Case of Azerbaijan

The 1989 revolutions in Europe were more than political in nature. Most of all, the 1989 events were credited with moral connotations since they expressed the desire of the countries to align to democratic values of the Western world. In the same way, the former Soviet states declared their independence and declared their aim toward a democratic system. For a number of reasons, primarily geopolitical, Azerbaijan and the West present reciprocal interests with one another. Given the recent explosion of Islamic radicalism and its association with terrorism, the highly secular orientation of Azerbaijan, its recent commitment to Western values, as well as its openness to cooperation with the Western countries, renders it as a helpful ally to the West. Reciprocally, the West may prove highly decisive of Azerbaijan’s fate as a new state on the path towards democracy. Thus, in the context in which Azerbaijan still remains prone to internal and external challenges, the Euro-Atlantic community represents a stability factor that lends its support to Azerbaijan’s developing as a fully democratic country. As it was mentioned in the previous sections of the current piece of writing, post-Soviet Azerbaijan has succeeded in attracting the attention of major corporations from the United States and Europe, which have already become financially involved in the country. As the European states showed their interest in solving the varied problems with which the region is confronted, they were joined by the United States in this attempt. Thus, Azerbaijan has established contacts with most Euro-Atlantic institutions, including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union. Also, Azerbaijan has become involved in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, as well as it has been invited to join the Council of Europe. Under these circumstances, the West is present in Azerbaijan not only in connection to the relationships developed with the United States and Europe, but also with those with OSCE and the Council of Europe. Certainly, western states and organizations play a vital role in keeping Azerbaijan on the path of transition, in terms of democracy and market development.