Eurasianet: Baku seethes with resentment against Russia while deepening economic ties
Azerbaijani leaders are still seething over Russia’s refusal to take responsibility for causing the deaths of 38 people in the accidental shoot-down of an Azerbaijani jetliner over Russian territory. But Baku’s anger is not getting in the way of trade considerations, Eurasianet writes.
The state-controlled Azerbaijani press continues to express indignation and defiance over Russia’s response to the Dec. 25 jetliner incident, which a preliminary investigation confirmed was caused by “external” metal objects, or anti-aircraft flak. Rather than admit to making a mistake, Russian media repeated disproven theories about the cause of the crash, while prominent Russian officials derided Azerbaijan leaders for being “overly emotional” and uppity, calling out President Ilham Aliyev by name. A commentary published Feb. 18 by an Azerbaijani website stated that if Russia does not soon change its diplomatic tune, “Moscow’s standing in the South Caucasus could continue to erode, pushing Baku to further deepen its alliances elsewhere.”
For the time being, Aliyev, despite the personal insults coming from Russia, is keeping his options open. In a move that did not receive much media attention, the Azerbaijani leader on February 11 ratified an agreement concluded in late 2024 to expand the North-South corridor, connecting Iran and Russia via Azerbaijan. The 2024 bilateral agreement provides for the modernization of road and rail infrastructure to accommodate an expanding volume of trade. The Iran factor in the North-South corridor is a major consideration for Aliyev. On Feb. 18, the Trend news agency reported that at a meeting in Tehran, officials from Azerbaijan, Russia and Iran agreed on a plan to build the Rasht-Astara railway on Iranian territory. The announcement occurred on the sidelines of the 3rd Caspian Forum. The three states first announced their intention to build the Rasht-Astara rail route in 2023, but construction has been held up by questions over financing and other logistical issues. Officials did not disclose specifics of their agreement, including projected costs and construction deadlines. Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh indicated that a detailed plan would be published soon. When completed, the roughly 100-mile stretch of railway will connect Astara at the Azerbaijani border to the Caspian city of Rasht, thus filling the last gap in the North-South rail route. In a speech at the Caspian Forum, Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov said Baku was ready to allocate additional funds to rail projects facilitating both North-South and East-West trade. He did not articulate a specific dollar amount, but indicated expanding Azerbaijan’s trade connectivity in all directions was a matter of national security.
