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AZERBAIJAN AND MEXICO
THE ROAD TO A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP
_________________________________________________
Olinka VIEYRA & Julio ESPINOZA
August 2009
What can two so far away countries like Azerbaijan and Mexico have in common? What distinctions are there between them? How divergent are their foreign policies? In which areas can these two countries cooperate? Why is
it beneficial to bring these two nations together? At first sight, there are no clear answers to these questions. However, the purpose of this paper is precisely to respond to these interrogations and suggest a specific path to approach Azerbaijan and Mexico in the short and mid terms.
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About the Authors
________________
Olinka Vieyra is a specialist in geopolitics and hydrocarbons in Central Asia and the Caucasus, and a professor at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Ms. Vieyra is a master student at the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy. [[email protected]]
Julio Espinoza is a former official at Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores de México and is a member of the Consejo Mexicano de Asuntos Internacionales. Mr. Espinoza is a master student at the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy. [[email protected]]
The views expressed on this paper take no institutional position and have no affiliation with any Government. All statements of fact and expressions of opinion contained in this paper are
the sole responsibility of the authors.
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CONTENTS
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THE ROAD TO A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP ........................................................... 5
FROM ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO HIGH LEVEL DIALOGUE ............................... 7
SHORT-TERM ACTIONS: A MIXTURE OF SOFT POWER AND PUBLIC DIPLOMACY .................... 10 MID-TERM ACTIONS: A SAMPLE OF LAW OF LEGATION ......................................................... 12
FROM COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGES TO COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES ...... 14
SHORT-TERM ACTIONS: A COMMON BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT ............................................. 18 MID-TERM ACTIONS: THE IMPORTANCE OF STRATEGIC LOCATION....................................... 19
FINAL THOUGHTS ......................................................................................................... 21
SOURCES............................................................................................................................ 22
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5
The Road to a Strategic Partnership
At present time Azerbaijan and Mexico are trying to get closer, but have no clear
strategy to do so. Even though there are hindrances to hold high level political and economic
relations, there are areas of opportunity to enhance Azerbaijani-Mexican relations and build, on
the basis of interdependence, a strategic partnership.
So far, for the bilateral relation there are two scenarios. The first one is to follow the
historical tendency characterized by lack of planning and action between Azerbaijan and
Mexico. The second, and most desirable one, has to do with leaving historical tendency behind
and instead setting shared objectives and strategies that bring both countries together hereafter.
It is advisable to think the bilateral relation in terms of stages and spans. In order to
reach high level ties, the two countries must follow a model which comprehends feasible steps
in the economic and political fields in the short and the mid terms. In the absence of these first
actions, there is the risk that Mexico and Azerbaijan continue to be apart for a longer time.
Regarding the structure of this paper, the first chapter addresses the political
relationship and examines that albeit differences, the similarities between Azerbaijan and
Mexico can help forge a political alliance based on public diplomacy, soft power and
international law. The second chapter analyzes the economic affinities and divergences of the
two countries, and concludes that there are comparative advantages that could become into
competitive advantages to pave the way for bilateral cooperation in strategic sectors, such as
hydrocarbons, information technologies, foodstuff and construction.
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Law of Legation
High level consultation mechanism
Public Diplomacy
&
Soft power
Economic Integration Mechanisms
Cooperation in other key sectors &
Creation of economic hubs
Business environment
&
Cooperation in the Hydrocarbons Sector
Short Term
&
Micro Stage
Middle Term
&
Mezzo Stage
Long Term
&
Macro Stage
Chart 1: Model of Stages to a Partnership between Azerbaijan and Mexico
Political Relation Economic Relation
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From acknowledgement to high level dialogue
When it comes to talk about Azerbaijan and Mexico, two so far away countries without any
historical bonds or mutual interests, it is easy to think that there are few possibilities to create a
solid political relationship between them. In the Mexican case, a natural question arises: How
can Mexico, a nation traditionally oriented to North America, Latin America and Europe,
consider Azerbaijan as a strategic partner? In the case of Azerbaijan a similar question arises:
How can Azerbaijan, a country concentrated on playing a major role in the Caucasus, consider
Mexico as significant partner?
At first sight, it is possible to identify two opposing standpoints for the Azerbaijani-
Mexican relation: 1) a pessimistic perspective that considers the partnership as remote and
vague due to the lack of common traits and interests; and 2) a visionary approach that bases the
bilateral relation on common historical similarities and stresses that a strategic partnership is
desirable and likely. So far, the pessimistic view has not facilitated the dialogue between
Azerbaijan and Mexico. Therefore, the following paragraphs are centered on the visionary angle
since it can expedite mutual understanding and cooperation between both nations.
Azerbaijan and Mexico have a common experience of coexistence with great powers as
the Russia and the United States respectively. Through modern history, Azerbaijan and Mexico
have faced imperialism, territorial invasion and political intervention, but have been able to
maintain a certain amount of independence to assure the survival of the nation-state. That is
why the two countries have tried to implement a foreign policy strategy looking for regional
and global powers to counterbalance the American and Russian preeminence, respectively.
Mexico, after half century of authoritarianism and state-run economy, in the 1980’s
undertook the path of democracy. Azerbaijan, after seven decades of soviet rule, reached its
independence in the early ‘90s and is also on the road to democratization. In Mexico, the
transition to democracy has been an arduous and gradual process, but there have been
advantageous steps forward it. Given these positive outcomes, Mexico can share some expertise
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to Azerbaijan in terms of political transition, political parties and foundation of electoral
institutions.
Another historical characteristic shared by Mexico and Azerbaijan regards their
diasporas. While almost 20 million Mexican people and Mexican descendants live abroad and
keep strong economic and political ties with Mexico, around 4 million people make
Azerbaijan’s active diaspora. In the future both states could share consular protection strategies
and advance points of agreement on human, political and economic rights of immigrants at
international organizations.
Furthermore, due to their preference of diplomacy and international law, Mexico and
Azerbaijan have historically defended the principles of multilateralism, self-determination, non-
intervention, peaceful solutions of controversies, proscription of the threatening or the use of
force, legal parity of states, cooperation for development and commitment to peace and
security.
Notwithstanding all the similarities, Azerbaijan and Mexico have different national
interests due to their divergent stages of development. While Azerbaijan is still consolidating its
statehood by recovering part of its territory, diversifying the economy and increasing political
stability, Mexico has already achieved a solid statehood and now confronts serious issues like
organized crime. Additionally, Baku is nowadays devoted to assure its role as a major player in
the energetic security of the Caucasus and Europe, whereas Mexico is looking for leadership in
international fora as the UN Security Council and the Group of the top 20 economies in the
world.
Beyond what has been mentioned, both Azerbaijan and Mexico are deploying political
and economic resources in different directions. On the one hand, Azerbaijan is trying to get
support to its reunification policy and secure foreign markets to its energy strategy. On the
other hand, Mexico is trying to become a more competitive and influential actor in North
America and regain leadership in the Latin American region.
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The contrast is also evident when it comes to the way Azerbaijan and Mexico are
projecting their images in the international scene. According to Daria Vaisman, “Azerbaijan
has more than doubled its diplomatic presence abroad since 2004, opening 32 new embassies
in the last three years in capitals from Athens to Tokyo.”1 Mexico, on the contrary, has been
reducing its diplomatic offices since 2001 due to an economizing trend during Vicente Fox
and Felipe Calderón’s administrations.2
Except for occupying an honorable place in the world, Azerbaijan and Mexico lack
common global interests and at the same time confront different vulnerabilities. While
Azerbaijan faces hegemonic pressures from Russia, Mexico faces permeable-border issues with
its neighbor countries. In addition, Azerbaijan is now concentrated to counter Russian new
imperialism in the Caucasus and Iranian military build-up whereas dealing with American and
European energy ambitions. Comparatively, Mexico has minor pressures from its neighbors,
mainly problems such as traffic of weapons and drugs, and accepts the U.S. leadership in the
Western Hemisphere.
Yet, the main hindrance for both nations to approach is Mexico’s foreign policy
strategy, which is mostly focused on traditional partners like the U.S., the European Union and
Latin America. Mexican decision-makers are not taking into account the importance of
cooperating with nations like Azerbaijan, which is at the core of the present geopolitics of
energy.
1Vaisman, Daria, “Azerbaijan Creates Diplomatic Academy”, The New York Times, July 11, 2007, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/11/world/europe/11iht-azeri.4.6617266.html?_r=1 [Retrieved August 02, 2009]
2 Cfr., Millán, Daniel, “Critica SRE cierre de embajadas”, Reforma, October 30, 2001.
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Short-Term Actions: A Mixture of Soft Power and Public Diplomacy
To achieve the visionary approach, a mixture of soft power3 and public diplomacy4 is needed.
Through gaining support from the very grassroots of the Azerbaijani and Mexican societies, it
will be possible to attain mutual understanding, friendship and a cultural dialogue between the
two countries. In this regard, the following actions are proposed:
Diplomacy of parliaments5: It is advisable to organize working visits and friendship
groups among Congressmen, mostly members of both countries’ Senates. In particular,
it is beneficial to invite Congressmen who are in charge of evaluating the results of
Azerbaijani and Mexican foreign policies and have the influence to change their course.
Diplomacy of political parties: It is recommendable to persuade political parties to
include a vision of a strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Mexico in their
foreign policy agendas and at the same time to promote the binational flow of political
party leaders.
Diplomacy of culture: National museums of fine art can encourage historical
understanding of both nations. To do so, it is necessary to set a framework and agenda
3 According to Joseph Nye, soft power is the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than through coercion and can be developed through relations with allies, economic assistance, and cultural exchanges. Cfr.,Bohorquez, Tysha, “Soft Power –The Means to Success in World Politics”, UCLA International Institute, http://www.international.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=34734 [Retrieved August 1, 2009] 4 Public Diplomacy is a foreign policy strategy that takes the most of soft power and intends to reach a wide audience beyond the traditional foreign policy actors (governments and elites) in order to persuade and gain support among non-traditional actors like the general public and in a broad concept to influence collateral actors as parliaments, state and local governments, businessmen, academicians, cultural advocates and the civil society. Cfr. Hyde, Henry, “Speaking to Our Silent Allies: Public Diplomacy and U.S. Foreign Policy”, U.S. Foreign Policy Agenda, Volume 7, No. 4, December 2002, http://ics.leeds.ac.uk/papers/pmt/exhibits/1458/hyde.pdf [Retrieved July 23, 2009]
5 The term Parliament is used in this part of the paper in order to refer to the legislative branch of both Azerbaijan and Mexico. Nonetheless, Azerbaijan and Mexico have Presidential regimes and do not have a Parliament. Instead, Azerbaijan has a unicameral National Assembly (Milli Mejlis) and Mexico has a bicameral National Congress (Congreso de la Unión) consisting of a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies.
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for exchanging art pieces as part of regular archeological exhibitions. Also artists like
folk dancers, singers, musicians and national ballets and orchestras can reciprocally
perform on an annual basis, mainly on important national holidays. Additionally it is
noteworthy to hold periodically food and film festivals in major cities of both
countries.
Diplomacy of academicians: Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy and the Mexican
Institute for Diplomatic Studies should facilitate the exchanges of diplomats on
training programs as well as visiting professors of both schools. Moreover, it is
suggested that the most outstanding Mexican public education institutions, such as the
National University, The National Polytechnic Institute and the College of Mexico,
sign agreements for faculty and alumni exchanges with Azerbaijani counterparts like
Baku State University, The University of Oil and the University of Languages. As a
complement, this cooperation scheme can also be extended to private universities.
Diplomacy of research: As a branch of diplomacy of academicians, opening and
supporting a seminar on Mexican studies and Azerbaijani studies, respectively, is
required to near the two nations and uphold human capital development. A first step
has already been taken in such direction. The School of Political and Social Sciences at
the National University of Mexico is about to host a Seminar of Azerbaijani studies and
waits for reciprocity at a major Azerbaijani school.
Diplomacy of focus groups: create a Binational Commission, a group of agents that
analyzes the bilateral relations and finds areas of opportunities. That group will
comprehend former Ambassadors, current Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials, experts
on International Relations and businessmen from both countries. All these agents could
meet each semester in Baku and Mexico in a rotating manner and in a year can deliver
12
a draft report, on the ways to enhance the bilateral relationship. This draft would be
amended during a second year of work and a final report would be made public.
Diplomacy of sport: Both nations favor sport education. Both governments have
agencies that promote sport in the national realm and serve as liaison to the Olympic
Committee. Azerbaijan and Mexico have also private federations for popular sports as
soccer. In this sense, there are chances to exchange athletes and schedule regular soccer
games between national teams,
Diplomacy of public places: it is proposed to sister capital cities between the two
countries. This means that a public place such as a street, park, square or library
dedicated to Azerbaijan is settled in Mexico City, as well as a public space dedicated to
Mexico is established in Baku.
Mid-term Actions: A Sample of Law of Legation
In general, the law of legation can be understood as the agreement between two states to
establish diplomatic relations as an act of discretion. Specifically, the law of legation is “an
accordable liberty rather than as a de jure attribute of every sovereign state accompanied by a
corresponding obligation on the other part of the selected partner.”6
Azerbaijan opened an embassy to Mexico in 2007. However, in the case of Mexico, its
Embassy to Azerbaijan is still based in Turkey. In order to deepen collaboration between both
nations and settle an Embassy of Mexico to Azerbaijan in the forthcoming years, the following
measures are suggested:
6 Hardy, Michael, Modern Diplomatic Law, Manchester University Press, 1968, p. 14.
13
Visits of high-ranking officials: as the successful visit of Mexico’s Deputy Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Ambassador María de Lourdes Aranda Bezaury,7 showed in April
2008, it is recommendable to promote high-ranking officials visits of both Ministries of
Foreign Affairs. By so doing, Azerbaijan and Mexico would boost deeper political and
economic cooperation.
Establishment of a Mexican Honorary Consulate in Baku: as a precedent to
opening an Embassy to Azerbaijan, it is strongly advisable for Mexico to open an
Honorary Consulate in Baku promptly. This will allow the Mexican government to
respond reciprocally to the efforts already made by the government of Azerbaijan to
settle and maintain a diplomatic mission in Mexico City. The Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Azerbaijan could facilitate the establishment of this Consulate by providing
Mexico logistical support.
Creation of an Azerbaijani-Mexican House of Friendship: since the Azerbaijani
community in Mexico is at this moment larger than the Mexican community in
Azerbaijan, it is proposed to found the House of Friendship in Mexico City first. As
the Mexican diaspora grows in Azerbaijan, the same can be done in Baku. The
Azerbaijani-Mexican House of Friendship can be an ultimate means to enhance
cultural understanding between the two countries.
7 For more information on this visit, Cfr., Embassy of Azerbaijan to Mexico, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Maria de Lourdes Aranda Bezaury Visits Azerbaijan, Press Release, April 1, 2008.
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From comparative advantages to competitive advantages
Despite the distance, Azerbaijan and Mexico have common economic traits. The first of these
characteristics is that both countries are producers of oil. In the case of Azerbaijan, oil and gas
are responsible for most of its economic growth. According to Vugar Baymarov, Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) expanded by a record 34.5% a couple of years ago and “the rapid
increases in oil production and the rise in prices for this oil have ensured that Azerbaijan has
posted the sixth consecutive year of double-digit growth."8
Chart 2: GDP Real Growth Rate of Azerbaijan
Source: http://www.indexmundi.com/azerbaijan/gdp_real_growth_rate.html
8 Bayramov, Vugar, “Using Oil Revenues Effectively in Azerbaijan”, Azerbaijan in the World Biweekly, Vol. I, No. 10, June 15, 2008, http://ada.edu.az/biweekly/issues/150/20090327031648590.html [Retrieved July 30, 2009]
15
In the case of Mexico, oil has also played a major role in the economy. Traditionally, oil
revenues have accounted for some 40 percent of the government’s budget.9 However, the oil
boon has decreased considerably in the last two decades due to significant plummets in
Mexico’s oil reserves. Moreover, Mexico’s state oil company, PEMEX, is facing serious
challenges in the fields of sustainability and refining oil.
At present, Mexico’s economic growth is much more modest than that of Azerbaijan.
During the last five years, Mexico’s GDP has been between 1 and 5% (See chart 2), but it is
expected that the Mexican economy shrinks notably as a result of the world economic crisis.
Chart 3: GDP Real Growth Rate of Mexico
Source: http://www.indexmundi.com/mexico/gdp_real_growth_rate.html
9 Martínez-Díaz, Leonardo, “Mexico’s Economic Challenges”, The Brookings Institution, September 2007.
16
The contrast between the stages of the economies of Mexico and Azerbaijan is evident.
While Azerbaijan is consolidating its stance as a transition economy, Mexico is moving forward
to a developed economy. Also, the structure of the two economies is different. Azerbaijan still
depends on exporting secondary sector10 commodities whereas Mexico is anchored to a more
diversified exporting structure, emphasizing on the tertiary sector.11
Despite the above mentioned, it is important to bear in mind that in the two countries
growth highly depends on oil revenues. Likewise, Azerbaijan and Mexico confront major risks
regarding the hydrocarbons sector. On the one hand, Ilham Aliyev’s administration copes with
the challenge of developing the non-oil sector to guarantee that the economy continues to grow
even after the oil prosperity, meeting both short-term expectations and longer-term demands.12
On the other hand, Felipe Calderon’s administration faces a severe decline in Mexico’s oil
reserves and the urgent necessity to modernize the state oil company, Petróleos Mexicanos
(PEMEX).
The second point of economic coincidence between Azerbaijan and Mexico is that the two
nations have a strategic location and play a remarkable role in the globalized world. As Heydar
Aliyev put it in his speech at the United Nations Summit in 2000, Azerbaijan makes its
positive contribution to development of globalization through its geographic location and
resources. These two factors make Azerbaijan a bridge between the East and the West and
facilitate the restoration of the Great Silk Road by enhancing commerce between Europe and
Asia.13 In a similar way, Mexico is at the crossroads of the American continent. Mexico’s
proximity to the United States and Canada, and at the same time its closeness with the rest of
10 The secondary sector includes those sectors that create a finished usable product. Some activities associated with this sector are metal working, textile production, chemical and engineering industries, aerospace manufacturing, energy utilities and construction. 11 The tertiary sector of an economy is the service industry. Some activities related to this sector are retail and wholesale sales, transportation, entertainment, restaurants, tourism, banking and healthcare. 12 Center for Economic and Social Development, Strategy for State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan Republic, Baku, 2007. 13 Aliyev, Heydar, Statement at the United Nations Millennium Summit, September 2000, http://www.un.org/millennium/webcast/statements/azerbaijan.htm [Retrieved July 25, 2009]
17
Latin American countries, make Mexico a central route of commerce in the American
continent.
Nonetheless, even if geography is essential to the economic development of both Mexico
and Azerbaijan, it does not assure an effective performance in the context of globalization. For
the two states to benefit from globalization, it is indispensable to make their economies more
open, to integrate them to regional markets and to seek partners beyond their own geographic
regions.
It could be said that Mexico and Azerbaijan have made great efforts to open their
economies and play an active role within their regions. For instance, today it is unquestionable
that Azerbaijan has an outstanding position in the geopolitical landscape of the Caucasus due
to the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipelines that commence in its
territory. In his article “Azerbaijan’s Role in Regional Energy Security”, Rovshan Ibrahimov
argues that thanks to these pipelines Azerbaijan has become the only state other than Russia
and the Middle Eastern nations to export hydrocarbons directly to Europe.14
With regard to Mexico, this country is a regional power and has intense commercial trade
with several nations of America and the rest of the world.15 In fact, Mexico has been one of the
most prolific signers of free trade agreements not only in America, but also in Europe, Asia and
the Middle East.16 Among these treaties, the most meaningful is the North American Free
Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the United States and Canada given the geographic
proximity and the size of those two economies.
14 Ibrahimov, Rovshan, “Azerbaijan’s Role in Regional Energy Security”, Azerbaijan in the World Biweekly, Vol. I, No. 10, June 15, 2008 http://ada.edu.az/biweekly/issues/150/20090327030158055.html [Retrieved July 31, 2009] 15 So far, Mexico has free trade agreements with the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Uruguay, the European Union, Israel, Japan, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechteinstein. 16 For more information on the free trade agreements that Mexico has signed see Villalobos Rodríguez, Ángel, “The Experiences and Responses of Mexico to Globalization, Challenges and Opportunities”, Secretaría de Economía, October 2006, http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/59/6/37563939.pdf [Retrieved August 01, 2009]
18
It is clear that Azerbaijan and Mexico are progressing in adapting their economies to
globalization. Nonetheless, despite the economic achievements attained by both states, the
commercial exchanges between them are still significantly low. For example, as of march 2009,
Mexico’s exports to Azerbaijan mounted around 262,000 dollars, which represents 0.001% of
the Mexican total exports. As of the same period no data of imports from Azerbaijan were
registered in Mexico’s trade balance.17 This indicates that at the present time Mexican-
Azerbaijani economic relations are minimal and also shows the need of bringing the terms of
commerce to mutual advantage.
So, what can be done in order to build up commercial ties between Azerbaijan and
Mexico? In the short term, a business environment that sets the frame to take the most of the
comparative advantages derived from the strategic location of both countries. In the midterm,
it is essential to take into account that approaching the two economies will be a gradual process
that requires engaging economic players in areas of opportunity.
Short-term Actions: A Common Business Environment
The principal component of enhancing Azerbaijani-Mexican commerce is to set a two-way
business ground. To do so, the following actions are proposed:
Cooperation in the hydrocarbons sector: Historically, Azerbaijan has been a leading
country in the extraction and exploitation of oil. The knowledge and expertise
Azerbaijan possesses in this area is extremely valuable to Mexico, especially when this
country is searching for new ways to modernize its state oil company. Since Mexico’s
experience in the hydrocarbons sector has also been remarkable in the past, it is also
desirable that Mexican experts collaborate with Azerbaijani specialists in the short-term.
17 Banco de México, Mexico’s Trade Balance Data, http://www.bancodemexico.gob.mx/SieInternet/consultarDirectorioInternetAction.do?accion=consultarCuadro&idCuadro=CE86§or=1&locale=es [Retrieved July 21, 2009]
19
Visits of Businessmen from both countries: Complementarily, it is suggested that
high level businessmen from both countries explore potential areas of investment by
visiting their counterparts. One initial step of this strategy is to have entrepreneurs
from State Oil Company of Azerbaijan and Petróleos Mexicanos meet in order to foster
collaboration between both companies.
Creation of Business Bureaux: A Business Bureau of Azerbaijan in Mexico and
reciprocally the foundation of a Business Bureau of Mexico in Azerbaijan will surely
improve the economic relations between the two countries. In order to avoid
unnecessary expenditures, it is advisable that the Business Bureau of Azerbaijan is
located at the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Mexico City. Once Mexico has a diplomatic
office to Azerbaijan, its Business Bureau could be settled there.
Mid-term Actions: The Importance of Strategic Location
Having advanced in the settlement of a two-way business framework, it will be possible to
undertake the next steps:
Foundation of a Chamber of Commerce: To bring into being a Chamber of
Commerce between Azerbaijan and Mexico can be a more robust strategy for deeper
economic cooperation. The Chamber of Commerce would be the central institution in
which all Azerbaijani and Mexican economic efforts could converge in an organized
manner.
Cooperation in other strategic sectors: Although the most strategic sector is the
hydrocarbons one, it is also proposed to encourage collaboration in other crucial
sectors. Both Azerbaijan and Mexico have dynamic construction industries, strong
20
information technology sectors and active foodstuff markets which can give room to
further economic ties between these nations.
Creation of commercial hubs: As it has already been referred, Azerbaijan and Mexico
have a location of utmost relevance. Once a mature stage of commercial exchanges is
attained, Mexico can benefit from Azerbaijan’s place at the crossroads of Europe and
Asia, whereas Azerbaijan can take advantage of Mexican position as a door to Latin
American markets.
21
Final Thoughts
This paper was devoted to the analysis of current Azerbaijani-Mexican relations. The thesis of
this research is that at present the two nations are willing to approach but there is not a specific
path to do it yet. It has also been made clear that in spite of the divergences on their foreign
policies, both Azerbaijan and Mexico share political and economic characteristics that can
enhance their relations.
Furthermore, it is claimed that Azerbaijani-Mexican approach will only be possible if
precise actions in the political and economic fields are undertaken in the short and mid terms.
The model of stages that is proposed in this investigation lies on the fact that it is fundamental
to change the unplanned agenda of collaboration followed up to now for a new strategy that
considers the importance of interdependence and comprises common interests, objectives, as
well as specific paths of action.
The present study is the first attempt ever in evaluating Azerbaijani-Mexican relations.
Consequently, the examination done is subject to amendments and improvement.
Nevertheless, it is expected that by taking this initial step in analyzing the relations between
Mexico and Azerbaijan further research can be done on this matter.
Although Azerbaijan and Mexico are divided by civilization, language, geography and
interests, both countries —while trying to display leadership in the regional and global fields—
might come to common ground and discover that the past does not represent a burden and
that the present and future are the milestones to follow.
•
22
Sources
Aliyev, Heydar, Statement at the United Nations Millennium Summit, September 2000, http://www.un.org/millennium/webcast/statements/azerbaijan.htm [Retrieved July 25, 2009]
Banco de México, Mexico’s Trade Balance Data, http://www.bancodemexico.gob.mx/SieInternet/consultarDirectorioInternetAction.do?accion=consultarCuadro&idCuadro=CE86§or=1&locale=es [Retrieved July 21, 2009]
Bayramov, Vugar, “Using Oil Revenues Effectively in Azerbaijan”, Azerbaijan in the World Biweekly, Vol. I, No. 10, June 15, 2008, http://ada.edu.az/biweekly/issues/150/20090327031648590.html [Retrieved July 30, 2009]
Bohorquez, Tysha, “Soft Power –The Means to Success in World Politics”, UCLA International Institute, http://www.international.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=34734 [Retrieved August 1, 2009]
Embassy of Azerbaijan to Mexico, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Maria de Lourdes Aranda Bezaury Visits Azerbaijan, Press Release, April 1, 2008.
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23
Martínez-Díaz, Leonardo, “Mexico’s Economic Challenges”, The Brookings Institution, September
2007.
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Rodríguez, Ángel, “The Experiences and Responses of Mexico to Globalization, Challenges and Opportunities”, Secretaría de Economía, October 2006, http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/59/6/37563939.pdf [Retrieved August 1, 2009]
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