Relationship dossier
Azerbaijan
Turkmenistan
Relationship assessment
Caspian resource disputes have coexisted with bilateral agreements on regional rules and joint energy development.
Azerbaijan toward Turkmenistan
+25Azerbaijan signed the 2018 Caspian Sea Convention with Turkmenistan and concluded a 2021 agreement with its government to cooperate on exploration and development of the Dostluk field.
Turkmenistan toward Azerbaijan
+25Turkmenistan signed the 2018 Caspian Sea Convention with Azerbaijan and concluded a 2021 agreement with its government to cooperate on exploration and development of the Dostluk field.
Overall relationship
+25The relationship combines practical bilateral cooperation on Caspian governance and energy development with a history of disputes over resource claims. The 2021 Dostluk agreement marked a concrete step toward cooperation on a contested area, though the broader scope and implementation of resource arrangements remain unclear.
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 Turkmenistan have had disputes over Caspian Sea resource claims, but have also pursued cooperation. Both signed the 2018 Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea, and in 2021 their governments agreed to cooperate on exploration and development of the Dostluk hydrocarbon field. These steps indicate practical cooperation alongside unresolved questions about Caspian resources.
Areas of tension
- Competing claims over Caspian Sea oil and gas fields and resource rights.
Key developments
Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan signed the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea.
The governments signed a memorandum of understanding on joint exploration and development of the Dostluk hydrocarbon field.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of cooperation on the Dostluk field are unclear.
- The status of other Caspian resource and boundary claims is uncertain.