| Summary/Abstract |
Just after the collapse of the USSR in 1991 Azerbaijan became a sovereign state with a desire to be more modern and advanced than previously—and less religious, though not totally secular, than its immediate neighbour the Islamic Republic of Iran. This article will show the calculations made by Azerbaijan to find a balance that would allow it to achieve the confidence necessary to both take on an important regional role as a modern and progressive state while juggling its relations with Russia, Iran, Armenia, and Israel. While fulfilling its strategic needs, Azerbaijan has been using its geo-strategic position to manoeuvre itself through a maze of regional pressures and both develop its national identity, its regional and world views as well as its preferred religious orientation − while using Israel to serve as its bridge to the West.
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