Author: Kamran Huseynov

Abstract

Azerbaijan is doing its best to establish lasting peace in the South Caucasus. The steps taken by Azerbaijan's national leader Heydar Aliyev in economic, political, and other fields in the South Caucasus under the guidance of the foreign policy route prove how true this idea is.

In this study, the course of Azerbaijan's foreign policy before and after the 44-day Homeland War will be discussed. It should also be noted that this foreign policy course is neo-functionalist viewed from the perspective of neo-functionalist theory. The main aspect of the research is to discuss the role, of development projects in economic, political, and social fields organized by Azerbaijan for the South Caucasus and to what extent these steps are an empirical indicator of neo-functionalist theory.

What is neo-functionalism theory?

Before evaluating Azerbaijan's foreign policy towards the South Caucasus, it is very important to clarify the theory of neo-functionalism and what this term means. This theory was mostly discussed in the 20th century. This has been accepted as a foreign policy doctrine by many countries. In the term neo-functionalism, "functional" means function or office, and "ism" means science, doctrine, practice, and system (Entries with Functionalism, 2015).

One of the main criteria of this doctrine derives from the philosophy of human collective action. Functional consciousness includes issues of regulating the collective mindset, education, unity of belief, values, and other social orders in society, including the world. The basic principle here is to meet the needs of people in society by acting collectively. Here, one of the main priority aspects is that states act together in interstate relations and meet each other's economic, political, and other needs in interstate relations. Here, it is shown that human nature tends to collectivity and joint action, and therefore it is believed that they will solve problems together (Khara, 2020).

One of the most vivid examples of this theory is the steps taken toward the establishment of the European Union. These steps emerged as an idea involving European countries after the Second World War. The "European Coal and Steel Community" was founded in 1951 mainly on the initiative of J. Monet, A. Spinelli, and R. Shuman. The basic principle here is to prevent future wars and conflicts in Europe through economic and political integration and at the same time to make such adverse situations as impossible as possible.

Despite certain theoretical and practical successes, functionalism theory has faced some crises in history. One of these processes was caused by the conflicts of some European countries on political issues. During the presidency of Charles de Gaulle, France rejected the idea of joining the union, of which Germany and England were members, and refused to attend the meetings organized by this union. Being opposed to the establishment of the European Economic Union, France gave a political message on this issue by organizing its political crisis called "empty chair" for a period of one year starting in 1965 (Niemann, 2009). However, later historical processes proved that the neo-functionalist policy on this issue was even in France's favor, and at this point, it was crucial for France to focus on regulating its future relations with neighboring countries at economic, political, and other important levels. Putting aside the historical hostility, European countries saw the importance of opening communication for living in peace in the future and then the policy of political and social integration as a logical consequence of this.

Azerbaijan's South Caucasus Policy against the background of neo-functionalism theory

If we look at the situation from a general philosophical point of view, it is possible to observe that although the constructive steps taken by Azerbaijan are not exactly the same as the European Union's peace initiative, this idea is essentially the same. In general, the course of Azerbaijan's foreign policy has mainly consisted of constant mutual cooperation with neighboring and other states and a smart foreign policy path in which all parties won. Since Azerbaijan gained its independence even before the 44-day Patriotic War, it has started healthy cooperation with neighboring countries also for the solution to the Karabakh conflict.

For Heydar Aliyev, the future of Azerbaijan was very important. For this reason, it was very important to establish healthy economic cooperation first of all. Heydar Aliyev, in addition to solving the national security problem, made great efforts for the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and gas pipeline. He took action to expand the scope of economic and political relations with the European Union, especially with neighboring Georgia, for the construction of peace in the South Caucasus region. (MAMMADOV, 2013).

The aggression policy pursued by Armenia has caused it to stay away from these projects. Azerbaijan hoped that by following a healthy and assertive policy, Armenia would solve the Karabakh problem together with Azerbaijan. Since lasting peace is the core of Azerbaijan's foreign policy, efforts to resolve every issue through peaceful means through negotiations are a manifestation of Azerbaijan's foreign policy moving in a neo-functional direction. Azerbaijan has always been in favor of eliminating coldness and disagreements in neighborly relations. However, it should be noted with regret that Armenia abandoned its aggressive policy and the dream of a “Greater Armenia” and abandoned a healthy foreign policy route. For the theory of neo-functionalism, the establishment of peace is inevitable. Armenia has also proven with its actions that it is not interested in establishing this peace.

It should be noted that the existence of a supranational organization is very important for more successful negotiations in interstate relations. However, Azerbaijan has strengthened its relations with international and regional organizations in order to expand peace and cooperation in the South Caucasus in its foreign policy. Azerbaijan, in the background of cooperation with the UN, OSCE, ECO, OIC, GUAM, NATO, and other organizations, is of the opinion that it is an important and preventive step to prevent future conflicts both with neighboring states and for the solution of the Karabakh problem by increasing economic dependence.

In order to be a successful actor in foreign policy, every state must first achieve its national security. Ilham Aliyev, who always takes this as a guide in the course of foreign policy and in the negotiation process, approaches the issues primarily from a geopolitical perspective and follows a very pragmatic policy in order to re-establish the security and sovereignty of Azerbaijan. As a logical consequence of this, Azerbaijan has successfully secured its independence and is interested in expanding relations with its immediate neighbors. This includes the manifestation of the-functionalism in this case. The principle of establishing healthy relations with various organizations and states in the global geopolitical environment allows Azerbaijan to expand its reputation in the international arena and increase its sphere of influence. This is a very important issue. If the protection of national interests is a priority, then first of all it is necessary to take part in expanding the sphere of influence and cooperation platforms. Azerbaijan took advantage of this skillfully and overturned the insidious plans of Armenia in the global arena. As an example, it is possible to examine the close cooperation of Azerbaijan with the CIS countries. Thanks to its close cooperation with the CIS states, Azerbaijan has managed to constantly protect its national interests, security, and sovereignty. Considering the Armenian factor, Azerbaijan has the authority to veto any action against its political interests. At the same time, he succeeded in neutralizing any threat that may arise against him with his cooperation and wise political maneuvers. Azerbaijan also knows that the establishment of bilateral relations as well as multilateral relations have not lost its importance. The basis of this can be explained as the fact that both states can benefit more from bilateral relations by approaching the aspect of protecting their interests more positively. Like other countries, Azerbaijan has always been interested in ensuring its political security. Looking at the history of Azerbaijan and the path it followed, it should be noted that the political security factor is very important for countries that have just gained their independence. It should be noted here that Azerbaijan implements its neo-functional relations on a systematic mechanism. This system is implemented with level measurement. The countries in the first stage are mainly Turkey, Russia, and Iran. The second stage refers to Central Asia, Georgia, and Armenia, and the third stage refers to the USA, the Far East and other countries (Mammadov, 2013).

The current location of Azerbaijan is one of the most complex processes in the world. However, Azerbaijan follows a foreign policy route based on equal partnership and reliable cooperation in order to secure its national interests in the geopolitical area. More recently, elements of the European Union's integration and peace initiative can be seen in the Eurasian space. Turkey's rapprochement with Russia and steps taken against the background of the Central Asian countries and the Organization of Turkish States (TDT), of which it is a member, have created fertile conditions for the full satisfaction of Azerbaijan's interests. Azerbaijan has taken very bold steps within the framework of close cooperation with brotherly Turkey.

Even after the Second Patriotic War, Azerbaijan took a very humanitarian step and was the first to offer Armenia to sign a peace treaty. This has been practiced by very few states throughout history. This proves that Azerbaijan is not interested in war, but in establishing functional relations. It should also be noted that the Zangezur corridor proposed by Azerbaijan is a very wise political decision as well as a great step towards lasting peace. It is a flexible step that will pave the way for the further expansion of the political and economic relations to be established in the South Caucasus years later and against the conflicts that may arise in the future.

If the Zangezur corridor is built, the distance between Azerbaijan and Turkey will be significantly reduced, creating conditions for economic growth and further expansion of political relations. This in itself will shorten the ground travel distance by about 25%. One of the most important points is that this will most likely create a "spillover" effect. Thanks to this effect, European countries have realized regional cooperation very quickly and persistently (Tütünsatar, 2022).

Conclusion

Azerbaijan's foreign policy route plays an important role in determining the future destiny of the Caucasus. Although it is not the same as the integration model established by Europe, Azerbaijan, which tries to adapt its elements to the conditions of the geopolitical reality it is in, has tried to ensure stability and lasting peace in the region. In this study, the analysis of Azerbaijan's foreign policy in the Caucasus from a neo-functionalist perspective has shown once again that this policy is a manifestation of Azerbaijan's humanitarianism and commitment to the agreements it has in common, and that it is for the benefit of every country in the region. Founded mainly by the national leader Heydar Aliyev, modern Azerbaijan is getting one step closer to this goal with the pragmatic foreign policy pursued by Ilham Aliyev.

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