Appearing on the Novosti Kavkaza YouTube channel, Azerbaijani MP and analyst Rasim Musabekov said the much-discussed Aliyev–Putin encounter in Dushanbe reflects a “new normal” in Azerbaijan–Russia relations-one that, in his view, falls short of both “allied interaction” and true “strategic partnership.”
Musabekov argued that the alliance label was “effectively voided” by events since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, noting the chill in top-level political dialogue through 2025 and widening foreign-policy divergences beyond Ukraine, including the Middle East.
He said Baku would prioritise pragmatic good-neighbourliness with both Russia and Iran, while reserving strategic depth for ties with Turkey and close coordination with Georgia. He underscored the scale of mutual investments with Turkey and said those flows, plus policy alignment, amount to a full-fledged alliance.
On connectivity, Musabekov highlighted the North-South transport corridor with Russia and Iran (rail, energy swaps, and gas transit) as commercial opportunities-provided Moscow and Tehran give binding throughput guarantees and co-finance capacity upgrades on Azerbaijan’s side.
He cited possible power-flow expansions via high-voltage links and limited gas balancing using legacy pipelines, stressing these are business arrangements that should not create political dependency.
Turning to the South Caucasus peace track, Musabekov said the Armenia–Azerbaijan file is “decided” and urged swift signature and ratification of a peace treaty to lock in legal obligations and constrain future revanchism. He dismissed recent remarks portraying Azerbaijan as a “Russian-speaking country,” calling them detached from linguistic realities beyond Baku.
On Georgia, Musabekov agreed that Tbilisi lacks the defence spending, force posture, and public prioritisation that underpinned Azerbaijan’s restoration of territorial integrity, arguing that any state seeking such outcomes must sustain long-term investment and societal preparedness.
