Foreign Policy of Islamic Republic of Iran towards Central Asia and Azerbaijan

Abstract

While Iran did not have a clearly delineated policy towards Central Asia (and Azerbaijan) during the Soviet period and conducted its relations through Moscow, it tried to develop constructive engagement with the regional states since the collapse of the Soviet Union. At the same time, Iran clearly came to accept the dominant position of Russia in the region. Although it avoided involvement in internal affairs of the regional countries, Iran's political relations with them have not developed into a satisfactory level. In this, American discouragement of the regional countries to enter close relations with Iran, their identification of political Islam as domestic threat and Iran as its external hub, as well as Iran's own economic and technological weaknesses played important roles. Despite this political weaknesses and US pressures, however, Iran, with its suitable geographic location and acceptance of trampa with the energy reach countries, has emerged as an important regional economic partner and alternative transit route.

Keywords

Foreign Policy of Iran, Central Asian republics, Caspian Basin, Islamic foreign policy, Turkey-Iran competition.

Citation

Akdevelioğlu, Atay, “Foreign Policy of Islamic Republic of Iran towards Central Asia and Azerbaijan”, International Relations, Volume 1, Issue 2 (Summer 2004), pp. 129-160.

Affiliations

• Atay Akdevelioğlu, Research Assistant, Ankara University, Faculty of Political Sciences, Department of International Relations