Azerbaijan and the European Union BASEES/Routledge Series on Russian and East European Studies Series

This book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of EU-Azerbaijan relations. It examines the current state of Azerbaijan and its regime, charts the development of EU-Azerbaijan relations over time and discusses the dynamics at work in the relationship. It details the nature of the Azerbaijani regime, including its authoritarian character and allegations of corruption, explores the differences between European values and the values of the Azerbaijani government, and explains the difficulties that have arisen in the relationship, including the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution process, media suppression and human rights violations. The book includes a comparison with EU relations with other states in the region.

List of Abbreviations; List of Illustrations; List of Special Characters; Acknowledgement; Annex I; Annex II; 1. Introduction; 2. Conceptual framework: Legacies, policy strategies and bargaining power; 3. EU relations with Azerbaijan and the post-Soviet region over time; 4. Limits to EU influence: Democracy and Human Rights promotion; 5. Azerbaijan and values promotion by other European institutions; 6. Limits to bargaining power: Putting the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the agenda; 7. Negotiations over economic co-operation and the legal basis for relations: Bargaining power at its best; 8. Conclusion and further discussion

Eske van Gils is a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Kent.