Relationship dossier
Azerbaijan
Russia
Relationship assessment
Pragmatic strategic cooperation strained by disputes over Nagorno-Karabakh and the 2024 aircraft crash
Azerbaijan toward Russia
+15Azerbaijan signed the 2022 Declaration on Allied Interaction with Russia, establishing a framework for cooperation. It has also pursued an independent course on Nagorno-Karabakh, including taking control of the region in 2023 while Russian peacekeepers were present. After the December 2024 Azerbaijan Airlines crash in Russian airspace, Baku sought accountability from Moscow.
Russia toward Azerbaijan
+10Russia signed the 2022 Declaration on Allied Interaction with Azerbaijan and deployed peacekeepers to Nagorno-Karabakh under the 2020 ceasefire arrangement. Their presence did not prevent Azerbaijan’s 2023 operation, and Russia agreed to an early withdrawal in 2024. The December 2024 aircraft crash in Russian airspace became a further bilateral source of tension.
Overall relationship
+15The relationship has a durable framework for strategic cooperation, but it is not an unqualified partnership. Russian peacekeeping in Nagorno-Karabakh and the circumstances surrounding the 2024 aircraft crash have tested bilateral ties, while the 2022 declaration and continued diplomatic engagement provide grounds for cooperation.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Azerbaijan and Russia maintain a pragmatic relationship combining formal strategic cooperation with significant disputes. Their 2022 Declaration on Allied Interaction set a framework for closer ties, while Russia’s role as a peacekeeper in Nagorno-Karabakh became contentious before its forces withdrew in 2024. The December 2024 Azerbaijan Airlines crash in Russian airspace further strained relations, despite continued engagement.
Areas of tension
- Russia’s peacekeeping role in Nagorno-Karabakh and its response to Azerbaijan’s 2023 operation.
- The December 2024 Azerbaijan Airlines crash in Russian airspace and demands for accountability.
Key developments
Azerbaijan and Russia signed the Declaration on Allied Interaction, setting out a framework for expanded bilateral cooperation.
Azerbaijan took control of Nagorno-Karabakh while Russian peacekeepers were deployed in the region.
Russia and Azerbaijan agreed to the early withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Nagorno-Karabakh.
An Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft crashed in Russian airspace, leading to a dispute over responsibility and accountability.
Major uncertainties
- The practical scope and implementation of the 2022 allied-interaction commitments are unclear.
- The extent to which the 2024 aircraft-crash dispute has affected broader bilateral cooperation is uncertain.