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It’s via Albania that the Trans-Adriatic Gasoline Pipeline, TAP, the spine of the vitality structure of Southern Europe and the Western Balkans, transports Caspian hydrocarbons to Italy.
President Aliyev of Azerbaijan and President Aleksandar Vučić of Serbia signed a declaration on their strategic partnership and alliance on the finish of November, elevating relations between the 2 international locations to a brand new excessive.
Azerbaijani assist for Serbia is just not restricted to the problem of the nation’s jeopardized territorial integrity. When Belgrade suffered big financial hardships, Baku that stepped in; necessary infrastructure tasks and motorway development had been accomplished in Serbia because of Azerbaijani loans.
Azerbaijan and Bosnia and Herzegovina are additionally related by extra than simply shared cultural heritage; each international locations additionally suffered enormously because of ethno-territorial conflicts. Minefields, conflict, and compelled displacement are all acquainted recollections for Azerbaijanis and Bosnians. These two international locations have persistently stood by each other throughout onerous instances, for one another’s causes.
The Khojaly-Srebrenica monument in Sarajevo is a vivid illustration of the 2 nations’ tragic previous. Sarajevo additionally acquired help from Azerbaijan in the course of the COVID-19 outbreak and acquired its residents jabbed because of the vaccines offered by Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani embassy was opened in Bosnia in 2021 in order that diplomatic ties is perhaps additional strengthened.
The Azerbaijani facet has at all times favoured pragmatism in relations with Greece, although there has additionally been some extent of friction. The vitality tasks of Azerbaijan have helped make Athens probably the most important vitality hubs. Azerbaijan as soon as prevented Russia from establishing an vitality monopoly over Greece by buying a share of DESFA, the Greek gasoline distributor, on the Greek facet’s urging a few years in the past.
Throughout his time in workplace, nonetheless, former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras led some overseas coverage initiatives in a way that broken bilateral relations. Nevertheless, the events have hopefully moved previous this time of rigidity, because of the assembly of the 2 heads of state in October 2022, when each events careworn the necessity for nearer cooperation. Greece is excited by growing vitality imports from Azerbaijan, significantly given the difficult geopolitical and geo-energy circumstances in Europe.
In its bilateral and multilateral interactions, Baku has at all times positioned a precedence on mutual respect, the rule of worldwide legislation and pragmatism, as could be seen from its relations with a number of Balkan nations. It is also price drawing noting the increasing ties between Azerbaijan and Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro and North Macedonia, along with the aforementioned nations.
Russia’s aggressive conflict in Ukraine has considerably upended Europe’s safety structure and uncovered Azerbaijan and the Balkan international locations to a variety of recent challenges.
In such a fancy geopolitical setting, Azerbaijan can work with its companions within the Balkans to eradicate these risks. Azerbaijan, which shares robust cultural ties with the Balkan international locations, has no geopolitical schemes towards the Balkan nations, not like another exterior powers. Nor does it intention to make use of its relations with the Balkan nations towards others. Azerbaijan’s method to the Balkans entails forging partnerships alongside a political path that advances shared goals. The final 30 years have amply demonstrated that Azerbaijan has supported its Balkan buddies throughout their most attempting moments.
Azerbaijan and the Balkan international locations nonetheless have a substantial amount of potential to enhance relations. Two tasks particularly must be highlighted on this regard. First, the Ionian-Adriatic Pipeline, IAP, shall be able to transporting Azerbaijani gasoline from Albania to Croatia through Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina earlier than delivering it to Central Europe, if the mandatory monetary funding and political assist are made.
The probability of finishing this mission has improved because of Azerbaijan and the European Union deepening vitality cooperation in 2022. If realized, this mission will assist the European Union obtain certainly one of its strategic goals – to cut back the Western Balkan international locations’ dependence on Russia.
The supply of electrical energy from Azerbaijan to Romania, over the Black Sea and finally to Central Europe, is a mission of equal strategic significance.
The institution of such a “inexperienced hall” has already been agreed upon by Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary. The European Union has the identical strategic goals on this space as Azerbaijan, which desires to determine itself as a hub for inexperienced vitality within the area. If realized, this inexperienced hall shall be an necessary a part of the so-called Center Hall, which has not too long ago grow to be extra related and whose goal is to divert the passage of transport and communication traces via Russia to different routes.
The development of a gasoline interconnector between Romania and Serbia can even assist cut back dependence on Russia by getting Azerbaijani gasoline to Belgrade. Rising the transmission capability of present energy traces can be within the strategic pursuits of each Azerbaijan and the European Union.
Within the present difficult geopolitical setting, the Balkan states might overcome their challenges by strengthening their strategic partnership with Azerbaijan and so laying a stable basis for the co-development of the Balkan and Caucasus areas.
For this, it’s essential to keep up and develop pragmatic relationships based on worldwide legislation and respect for each other. By supporting this course of each politically and financially, the European Union, which cooperates with the Western Balkan states throughout the framework of its Neighbourhood Coverage, might attain its regional strategic goals extra rapidly.
Rusif Huseynov is the Director of Topchubashov Heart, a Baku-based suppose tank. His essential pursuits are socio-political developments, frozen conflicts, and ethnic minorities, in post-Soviet international locations, whereas his focus areas primarily cowl Japanese Europe, the Center East, Caucasus and Central Asia.
The opinions expressed are these of the writer and don’t essentially mirror the views of BIRN.
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