AZERBAIJAN'S GEOPOLITICS AND OIL PIPELINE ISSUE

Most of what Azerbaijan has gone through is explained by its geographical location. The weakness of Azerbaijan's natural defences has repeatedly left it open to external aggression. This feature means that Azerbaijan has played the role of a convenient corridor for foreign states' attacks from north to south and vice versa, as well as for expansionist goals of mighty forces. Historically, there has been no place for the weak structures in the region, but at the same time, there has been no durable stability or opportunity for evolutionary development. Access to Caspian waters in the east has caused serious problems also. The Caspian has the nature of a big lake having no natural exit to the high sea and this has noticeably retarded the country's development and relationship with foreign states. It is indicative that Azerbaijan is classified as one of more than 40 landlocked countries

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1 Martin Ira Glassner, Political Geography, New York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1996, pp. 467-478.
2 For more complete information see: Nasib Nasibzade, Azerbaycanin xarici siyaseti (1918-1920), Baku, Ay-Ulduz, 1996.
3 Sabit Bagirov, 'Azerbaijani Oil: Glimpses of a Long History', Perceptions, Vol. 1, No. 2, 1996, p. 34.
4 Ibid., pp. 34-52; Elaine Holoboff, 'Russia and Oil Politics in the Caspian', Jane's Intelligence Review, 8, No. 2, 1996, pp. 82-83; Caspian Basin, Special Issue, 1997, pp. 3, 7; Rajan Menon, 'Treacherous Terrain: The Political and Security Dimensions of Energy Development in the Caspian Sea Zone', The National Bureau of Asian Research, 9, No. 1, 1998, pp. 12, 40-42.
5 For oil contracts see: Azerbaijan International, Summer 1997, pp. 71-83, Autumn 1997, pp. 85-90, Spring 1998, pp. 99-101; Turkistan-Newsletter, Vol. 98-198-28, November 1998; Caspian Basin, Special Issue, No. 6 (29), pp. 14-16; Agence France Presse, 18 December 1998; USIS Washington File, 17 November 1998.
6 Turan, 17 December 1998.
7 Patrick Clawson, 'Iran and Caspian Basin Oil and Gas', Perceptions, Vol. 2, No. 4, December 1997-February 1998, pp. 19-20.
8 Azerbaijan International, Autumn 1994, pp. 27-28.
9 Temel ‹skit, 'A New Actor in the Field of Energy Politics?', Perceptions, Vol. 1, No. 1, March-May 1996, pp. 77-80; Haluk Dursun, 'Bo¤aziçi Su Yolu De¤il, Kültür Oda¤›', Aksiyon, 28 Kas›m/4 Aral›k 1998, s. 29; Abdülhamit Balici, 'Dünya Bir Yana, Bo¤az Bir Yana', Aksiyon, 28 Kas›m/4 Aral›k 1998, s. 20; The Economist, 7-13 1998; Bülent Gökay, 'Caspian Uncertainties: Regional Rivalries and Pipelines', Perceptions, Vol. 3, No. 1 March-May 1998, pp. 61-62.
10 'Transporting Caspian Sea Regional Oil. The Mediterranean Route: an Environmental Alternative', Habarlar-L, 6 November 1998.
11 Turkish Daily News, 17 April 1998.
12 Al-Hawadith, London, 18 December 1998; Sodrujestvo NG, No. 10, 1998, p. 2
13 Azadliq, 24 December 1998; The New York Times, 18 December 1998, p. 8; Turan, 18 December 1998; Sodrujestvo NG, No. 10, 1998, p. 2.
14 IRNA, 28 April 1998; Azeri Times, 11-17 December 1998; Yeni Musavat, 24 December 1998.
15 Europe Information Service, 20 May 1998, No. 514; San Francisco Chronicle, 11 August 1998, p. A1; Middle East Economic Digest, 30 October 1998, p. 9; Azadliq, 9 December 1998.
16 Congressional Quarterly Researcher, 7 August 1998, Vol. 8, No. 29.
17 The Economist, 7-13 February 1998; Habarlar-L, 6 November 1998.
18 Turkistan-Newsletter, Vol. 98-182-27 October 1998; Turkistan-Newsletter, Vol. 98-192-13 November 1998; L'Expansion, 14-27 May 1998; Moskovskiy Komsomolets, 12 November 1998, p. 2; New York Times, 25 November 1998.
19 Interfax in English, 27 January 1999.
20 Steve Liesman, 'Three Oil Giants and Kazakhstan Will Push Plan for Caspian Sea Pipeline to Turkey', Wall Street Journal, 10 December 1998, p. 4; Azadliq, 27 October 1998, p. 8. 21 Oil and Gas Journal, 9 March 1998, p. 32.
22 Agence France Presse, 10 December 1998; Interfax in English, 27 January 1999.
23 Cited in Stephen Kinzer, 'Caspian Competitions in Race for Power on Sea of Oil', New York Times, 24 January 1999.
24 RFE/RL, 5 January 1999.
25 Reuters, 29 January 1998.
26 Azadliq, 24 December 1998.
27 Yolbars Kepbanov, 'The New Legal Status of the Caspian Sea is Basis of Regional Co-operation and Stability', Perceptions, Vol. II, No. 4, December 1997-February 1998, pp. 14-15.
28 Azadliq, 4 November 1998; Ayna, 21 November 1998, 6 February 1999.
29 Ron Synovits, 'Georgia: Most Important Transit Country Upgrades Infrastructure', RFE/RL, 29 June 1998; Radio Tbilisi Network, 25 October 1998; Interfax in English, 27 January 1999; Turkistan-Newsletter, Vol. 98-182-27 October 1998.
30 Ariel Cohen, 'Ethnic Conflicts Threaten US Interest in the Caucasus', The Heritage Foundation Backgrounder, No. 1222, 25 September 1998, p. 8. 31 RFE/RL, 3 April 1998.
32 See Azadliq, 10 December 1998; Ayna, 12 September 1998, 3 November 1998, 26 December 1998, 16 January 1999; Yeni Musavat, 16 February 1999; Nezvisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye, 4-10 December 1998, p. 2.
33 Leila Alieva, 'The Institutions, Orientations, and Conduct of Foreign Policy in Post-Soviet Azerbaijan', in Adeed Dawisha and Karen Dawisha (eds.), The Making of Foreign Policy in Russia and the New States of Eurasia, Armonk, M.E. Sharpe, 1995, p. 302; Oumerserik Kasenov, 'Russia, Transcaucasia and Central Asia: Oil, Pipelines and Geopolitics', in Ronald Sagdeev and Susan Eisenhower (eds.), Central Asia: Conflict, Resolution, and Change, Chevy Chase, MD, Center for Political and Strategic Studies, 1995, p. 73.
34 Los Angeles Times, 17 December 1997.
35 Respublika Armenii in Russian, 27 December 1998, p. 3; Oleg Maksimenko, 'Noviy neftyanoy poryadok neminuemo privedyot k geopoliticheskim izmeneniyam', Sodrujestvo NG, No. 10, 1998, pp. 9-10.
36 Selina Williams, 'Isolated Armenia Feels the Cold in the Transcaucasus', Financial Times, 6 January 1998.
37 See Ayna, 12 September 1998.
38 Financial Times, 24 November 1998, p. 1; Turan, 27 November 1998; New York Times, 28 November 1998, p. 8; Turkistan-Newsletter, Vol. 98-2:203-30 November 1998; Reuters, 2 December 1998; USA Today, 4 December 1998, p. 6B.
39 Vladislav Shorokhov, 'Energoresursi Azerbaydjana: Politicheskaya stabil'nost i Regional'nie Otnosheniya', Kavkazskiye Regional'niye Issledovaniya, No. 1, 1996, p. 46.
40 Ayna, 30 January 1999, p. 22; Caspian Basin, special issue, p. 55.
41 Azadliq, 13 January 1999.
42 New York Times, 31 January 1999; Boston Globe, 6 February 1999, p. 15; RFE/RL, 4 February 1999; Agence France Presse, 12 February 1999; Moscow Times, 13 February 1999.
43 Monitor, 22 January 1999; Reuters, 25 January 1999.
44 Monitor, 8 February 1999; Reuters, 10 February 1999.
45 After completing the article, on 18 November 1999, on the sidelines of the OSCE ‹stanbul Summit, the Presidents of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan with the participation of the US President signed the documents that constitute the legal framework for the construction and operation of the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline, MEPCC.