🇦🇿🇪🇺Azerbaijan Steps Up Relations with NATO
Military reform aligns with Western standards

✍️Author: Alexandr Svaranc
PhD in Political Sciences, professor, expert on Middle Eastern Countries

➡️Azerbaijan is accelerating military reforms aligning with NATO standards, driven by its strategic alliance with Turkey and post-Karabakh victory ambitions. The transformation reflects Baku's shifting geopolitical orientation from its former CSTO membership toward Western security frameworks.

➡️The 2020 Karabakh success, achieved with Turkish military advisors and Israeli technology, demonstrated the effectiveness of NATO-compatible tactics and equipment. This victory reinforced Azerbaijan's neutral stance while deepening integration with the Organization of Turkic States—increasingly functioning as a de facto "Asian bureau" of NATO under Turkish leadership.

➡️Recent high-level engagements include NATO delegation visits to Baku and President Aliyev's emphasis on standardizing Azerbaijan's military with Turkish models. The proposed 2026 Turkic states' military exercises in Azerbaijan would further institutionalize defense cooperation outside traditional alliances.

🟦However, this reorientation risks regional destabilization. While Western powers seek control over East-West transit routes and Central Asian resources, neighboring nations like Kazakhstan maintain balanced relations with Russia, recognizing that sustainable security requires accommodating major powers' interests rather than exclusive Western alignment.

#Azerbaijan #Militarydefense #NATO #OrganizationofTurkicStates #Turkey #USA

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