.

Azerbaijan sent a brave and vital message to the international community on March 27th—a message the U.S. and the European powers would do well to acknowledge and applaud. As the Ukraine crisis deepened, the Baku government became the only post-Soviet state (apart from Georgia) to vote in favor of a UN resolution declaring Russia's annexation of Crimea illegal.

Given Azerbaijan's proximity to Russia, the tempting allure of its valuable oil and gas reserves, and Moscow's stationing of troops in neighboring Armenia, its vote might be seen as risky, even rash. In fact, it was wholly typical of the tenacious determination to shape its own future exhibited by Azerbaijan since it escaped the Soviet Union's stifling embrace in 1991.

The Ukraine crisis has sent shockwaves around the globe. But in Azerbaijan's tough neighborhood, these geopolitical tremors serve as timely reminders of Baku's pivotal role as a secular, majority Shia Muslim state that has maintained non-aligned status even as it has become a leading regional partner of the West and one of the world's big energy players.

The broader message sent on March 27th was plain: this is Azerbaijan's moment.

Just consider: Russia, to the north, is again engaged in aggressive expansionism after 20 years spent sulking behind its post-Soviet borders. Iran, to the south, is still faithfully performing the role of international pariah. NATO member Turkey, to the west, is struggling to cope with significant anti-government turbulence as relations with the EU fray. Azerbaijan stands out, meanwhile, as a good friend of the West and the only westward route for central Asian oil and gas that bypasses Russia.

It is not rocket science. The U.S. and its allies in the transatlantic community need Baku for a host of ever more pressing reasons, and they had better believe it.

As a security partner for western countries, Azerbaijan had already made its mark long before the Crimea furor broke out. It was the first majority Muslim nation to send armed forces to Iraq after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Following the 9/11 attacks, Azerbaijan became a crucial logistical supply and transit hub for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

Pursuing an independent foreign policy, it has held Russia at arm's length. Azerbaijan is a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the Council of Europe. And it is an important collaborator in international counterterrorism efforts and energy security.

Since reestablishing its independence in 1991, Azerbaijan has helped underpin regional stability through partnerships with neighbors such as Georgia. With one eye on Iran, it has developed strong ties with Israel. It also has a military agreement with Turkey.

Another reason for paying more attention to Azerbaijan is its position as the third largest ex-Soviet oil producer and an increasingly important source of natural gas. Last December it cut a deal worth $45 billion with BP for gas from the Shah Deniz offshore field. This development is linked to the TANAP project, the $7 billion Trans-Anatolian pipeline due to be completed in 2018 that will carry Caspian gas to Europe via Turkey.

The new pipeline's operator is the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR), the country's biggest energy producer and a key national investor and job creator. BP apart, SOCAR also has long-term exploration and development contracts with numerous other oil majors dating back to 1994, including Amoco, ExxonMobil, Lukoil, and Statoil.

Azerbaijan is already a crucial energy supplier to several EU nations. Italy, Germany, and France are Azerbaijan’s biggest trading partners. In this context, European dependence on Azeri energy is only likely to grow.

Overall, oil and gas production accounted for 95 percent of Azeri exports in 2013, helping spur 5.8 percent year-on-year growth in an economy worth $74 billion. This year's growth rate, including energy diversification projects and alternatives, is estimated at 5.6 percent, consistent with a decade or more of steady expansion.

“The Caspian region, of which Azerbaijan is the linchpin, is the only major alternative to Russia for energy,” said a report by consultants STRATFOR, quoted in a recent Bloomberg News analysis. “Therefore, rapid expansion of pipelines to the heart of Europe [is] essential.”

Following Crimea's annexation, NATO said it would seek closer military cooperation with Azerbaijan. That is entirely right. As the Ukraine crisis rumbles on, it is increasingly important to know (or remember) who your friends are. Russian troops are permanently based in parts of Georgia occupied in 2008 and in Moscow-backed Armenia. Baku has good reason to feel threatened.

But with the country playing an increasingly important international role as a regional power, willing partner, and vital energy supplier, the transatlantic community has both a responsibility and self-interest to recognize its pivotal position and to ensure that any such threat is deterred. Azerbaijan's message must be heard.

Simon Tisdall is a former Foreign Editor, U.S. Editor, and Foreign Affairs Leader Writer of The Guardian, London.

The views presented in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of any other organization.

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A Worthwhile Investment in Energy Security

April 29, 2014

Azerbaijan sent a brave and vital message to the international community on March 27th—a message the U.S. and the European powers would do well to acknowledge and applaud. As the Ukraine crisis deepened, the Baku government became the only post-Soviet state (apart from Georgia) to vote in favor of a UN resolution declaring Russia's annexation of Crimea illegal.

Given Azerbaijan's proximity to Russia, the tempting allure of its valuable oil and gas reserves, and Moscow's stationing of troops in neighboring Armenia, its vote might be seen as risky, even rash. In fact, it was wholly typical of the tenacious determination to shape its own future exhibited by Azerbaijan since it escaped the Soviet Union's stifling embrace in 1991.

The Ukraine crisis has sent shockwaves around the globe. But in Azerbaijan's tough neighborhood, these geopolitical tremors serve as timely reminders of Baku's pivotal role as a secular, majority Shia Muslim state that has maintained non-aligned status even as it has become a leading regional partner of the West and one of the world's big energy players.

The broader message sent on March 27th was plain: this is Azerbaijan's moment.

Just consider: Russia, to the north, is again engaged in aggressive expansionism after 20 years spent sulking behind its post-Soviet borders. Iran, to the south, is still faithfully performing the role of international pariah. NATO member Turkey, to the west, is struggling to cope with significant anti-government turbulence as relations with the EU fray. Azerbaijan stands out, meanwhile, as a good friend of the West and the only westward route for central Asian oil and gas that bypasses Russia.

It is not rocket science. The U.S. and its allies in the transatlantic community need Baku for a host of ever more pressing reasons, and they had better believe it.

As a security partner for western countries, Azerbaijan had already made its mark long before the Crimea furor broke out. It was the first majority Muslim nation to send armed forces to Iraq after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Following the 9/11 attacks, Azerbaijan became a crucial logistical supply and transit hub for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

Pursuing an independent foreign policy, it has held Russia at arm's length. Azerbaijan is a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the Council of Europe. And it is an important collaborator in international counterterrorism efforts and energy security.

Since reestablishing its independence in 1991, Azerbaijan has helped underpin regional stability through partnerships with neighbors such as Georgia. With one eye on Iran, it has developed strong ties with Israel. It also has a military agreement with Turkey.

Another reason for paying more attention to Azerbaijan is its position as the third largest ex-Soviet oil producer and an increasingly important source of natural gas. Last December it cut a deal worth $45 billion with BP for gas from the Shah Deniz offshore field. This development is linked to the TANAP project, the $7 billion Trans-Anatolian pipeline due to be completed in 2018 that will carry Caspian gas to Europe via Turkey.

The new pipeline's operator is the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR), the country's biggest energy producer and a key national investor and job creator. BP apart, SOCAR also has long-term exploration and development contracts with numerous other oil majors dating back to 1994, including Amoco, ExxonMobil, Lukoil, and Statoil.

Azerbaijan is already a crucial energy supplier to several EU nations. Italy, Germany, and France are Azerbaijan’s biggest trading partners. In this context, European dependence on Azeri energy is only likely to grow.

Overall, oil and gas production accounted for 95 percent of Azeri exports in 2013, helping spur 5.8 percent year-on-year growth in an economy worth $74 billion. This year's growth rate, including energy diversification projects and alternatives, is estimated at 5.6 percent, consistent with a decade or more of steady expansion.

“The Caspian region, of which Azerbaijan is the linchpin, is the only major alternative to Russia for energy,” said a report by consultants STRATFOR, quoted in a recent Bloomberg News analysis. “Therefore, rapid expansion of pipelines to the heart of Europe [is] essential.”

Following Crimea's annexation, NATO said it would seek closer military cooperation with Azerbaijan. That is entirely right. As the Ukraine crisis rumbles on, it is increasingly important to know (or remember) who your friends are. Russian troops are permanently based in parts of Georgia occupied in 2008 and in Moscow-backed Armenia. Baku has good reason to feel threatened.

But with the country playing an increasingly important international role as a regional power, willing partner, and vital energy supplier, the transatlantic community has both a responsibility and self-interest to recognize its pivotal position and to ensure that any such threat is deterred. Azerbaijan's message must be heard.

Simon Tisdall is a former Foreign Editor, U.S. Editor, and Foreign Affairs Leader Writer of The Guardian, London.

The views presented in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of any other organization.