India-Azerbaijan Relations And Eurasian Geopolitics

Gandhimathi A

1 day ago

India’s Engagement With Azerbaijan And Central Asia

Source: Indian Express
GS II: International Relations

Overview

India-Azerbaijan relations face challenges due to Azerbaijan’s close ties with Pakistan and Turkey, but diplomatic engagement offers scope for cooperation.
The Organisation of Turkic States promotes regional cooperation, although differences in national interests limit strategic unity.
Central Asian countries pursue multi-alignment to balance the influence of Russia, China, Turkey and other powers.
India should adopt pragmatic diplomacy to strengthen Eurasian connectivity, energy security and strategic partnerships while maintaining balanced ties with Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Why in the News?

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to Baku, Azerbaijan, highlighted the possibility of resetting India-Azerbaijan relations. The visit comes amid changing geopolitical alignments in Eurasia, where national interests increasingly take precedence over religious and ethnic solidarity.

News in Brief

India’s engagement with Azerbaijan reflects an opportunity to improve bilateral relations despite differences over Azerbaijan’s close ties with Pakistan and Turkey.
The Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) promotes cooperation among Turkic-speaking countries, but differences in national interests limit the possibility of a unified strategic bloc.
Central Asian countries are pursuing a multi-alignment approach to balance relations with Russia, China, Turkey and other powers.
Azerbaijan’s strategic location, energy resources and transport links make it important for India’s connectivity, energy security and engagement with the wider Eurasian region.

India-Azerbaijan Relations and Strategic Differences

India-Azerbaijan relations have faced difficulties due to Baku’s close partnership with Pakistan and Turkey.
- Pakistan-Azerbaijan ties: Pakistan, Turkey and Azerbaijan have strengthened their cooperation through political and military engagement. Their joint military exercise, Three Brothers, in Azerbaijan in 2021 reflected this growing partnership.
- Declaration on Kashmir: In 2020, Pakistan, Turkey and Azerbaijan issued a joint declaration that supported Pakistan’s position on Kashmir.
- Religious and ethnic solidarity: Azerbaijan’s engagement with Pakistan and Turkey has partly been shaped by their shared political positions and strategic interests.
- India’s position: India has maintained its objections to Pakistan’s position on Kashmir but recognises that diplomatic engagement with Azerbaijan can serve its wider regional interests.
Experts argues that India’s engagement with Baku should be guided by a realistic assessment of national interests rather than allowing differences with Pakistan to determine the entire relationship.

Limits of Pan-Turkism and the Organization of Turkic States

Pan-Arabism and Pan-Islamism have struggled to overcome national divisions in West Asia.
Similarly, Pan-Turkism, which promotes solidarity among Turkic-speaking peoples, faces limitations.
Historical background: Pan-Turkism gained prominence during the late Ottoman period, when imperial expansion and European influence shaped regional politics.
Post-Soviet developments: The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 created opportunities for Turkey to strengthen its engagement with newly independent countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Organisation of Turkic States: Established as the Turkic Council in 2009, it became the Organisation of Turkic States in 2021.
Areas of cooperation: The organisation promotes cooperation in trade, transport, technology, culture and security.
Limitations: Member countries retain their sovereignty and pursue independent foreign policies. Shared linguistic, ethnic and cultural identities do not automatically produce common strategic interests.
The OTS include Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan as members, while Turkmenistan participates as an observer.

Turkey-Azerbaijan Relations and Political Differences

Despite their close partnership, Turkey and Azerbaijan do not agree on every issue.
Turkey’s restrictions on Islamic headscarves in schools triggered criticism from conservative Turkish-speaking communities in Azerbaijan.
Baku defended its secular approach and rejected outside interference.
The episode illustrates an important distinction: cultural and religious affinity does not necessarily translate into political agreement or a unified foreign policy.
Azerbaijan also maintains strategic relations with Israel, including defence cooperation.
Turkey, which recognised Israel in 1949, has developed increasingly strained relations with it.
These differences show why the emergence of a unified Turkic geopolitical bloc remains uncertain.

Central Asia’s Multi-Alignment Strategy

Central Asian countries seek economic opportunities and security partnerships without becoming excessively dependent on any single major power.
Turkey: Offers investment, transport connectivity, military cooperation and cultural links.
Russia: Remains important for regional security, economic ties and historical connections.
China: Has expanded its economic presence through trade, investment and infrastructure projects.
Other partners: Countries in the region are exploring wider partnerships to preserve strategic autonomy.
Kazakhstan has rejected proposals to transform the OTS into a military alliance or geopolitical bloc.
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan also belong to the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
These choices reflect the region’s preference for flexible partnerships rather than rigid geopolitical alignments.

Changing Geopolitics of the Caucasus and Eurasia

The Caucasus occupies a strategic position between Europe and Asia, connecting the Caspian Sea region with Turkey, Russia and the wider Middle East.
Azerbaijan is particularly important because of its energy resources, transport infrastructure and geographical location.
Its energy resources contribute to regional energy security.
Its transport links connect the Caspian region with the Caucasus, Turkey and markets beyond.
Its location provides opportunities for greater engagement with Central Asia and the Middle East.
However, competition among Russia, China, Turkey and other regional actors complicates the geopolitical landscape.
The Caucasus and Central Asian states are not merely passive participants in great-power competition.
They actively use competing partnerships to protect their sovereignty and advance their interests.

Significance for India’s Foreign Policy

Azerbaijan’s strategic position offers India opportunities to expand its engagement with Eurasia.
Energy security: Azerbaijan’s energy resources provide scope for cooperation and diversification of India’s energy partnerships.
Connectivity: The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) offers India an alternative route connecting it with Iran, the Caspian region, Russia and parts of Eurasia.
Access to Central Asia: Stronger engagement with Azerbaijan could help India expand its economic and diplomatic presence in Central Asia and the wider Eurasian region.
Strategic autonomy: India can develop partnerships with Azerbaijan and other regional countries while maintaining its existing relationships with Armenia and other partners.
Diplomatic engagement: Renewed dialogue with Baku could help India reduce the impact of bilateral differences and explore areas of mutual interest.
India’s relations with Azerbaijan must be viewed alongside its concerns about Baku’s partnership with Pakistan and its own relations with Armenia.

India and the Changing Regional Balance

India does not necessarily oppose Azerbaijan maintaining relations with Pakistan.
However, it remains concerned when such relationships intersect with Pakistan’s position on Kashmir and India’s security interests.
Public debates often simplify foreign policy into competing camps.
A more careful assessment requires the economic, political and strategic interests underlying each country’s choices.
India should therefore pursue engagement with Azerbaijan without compromising its position on Kashmir on its partnership with Armenia.

Challenges for India

Pakistan factor: Azerbaijan’s close ties with Pakistan complicate India’s bilateral engagement.
Turkey’s regional ambitions: Ankara’s growing political, economic and security engagement in Eurasia may not always align with India’s interests.
Regional competition: Russia, China and Turkey compete for influence across the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Connectivity constraints: Geography, infrastructure gaps and regional tensions limit India’s access to Central Asian markets.
Balancing relationships: India must strengthen ties with Azerbaijan without undermining its strategic partnership with Armenia.
Security concerns: Regional conflicts and competing military partnerships can affect the stability of transport and trade routes.

Way forward and Conclusion

India should strengthen connectivity through the INSTC, expand cooperation with Central Asia and maintain balanced ties with Azerbaijan and Armenia while protecting its strategic interests.

The changing geopolitics of Eurasia highlights the importance of national interests over cultural solidarity. India must pursue pragmatic diplomacy to strengthen energy security, regional connectivity and its strategic presence in Eurasia.

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