ABSTRACT
The largest and most powerful country in Azerbaijan's vicinity, Russia will remain indefinitely at the forefront of Baku's foreign policy considerations. Russia's looming presence in the Caucasus also means that Azerbaijan will continue to be strongly affected by the state of Russia's relations with the West. If Russia and the West are on good terms, this facilitates Azerbaijan's efforts to pursue a policy of integration with the West while maintaining good relations with its giant neighbour. But trouble in Russia's relations with the West creates the prospect of a squeeze on Azerbaijan and the crimping of its ability to formulate its own foreign policy. Russia has used a variety of mainly coercive strategies, ranging from fomenting ethnic conflict and supporting separatist forces to using economic leverage and outright military force, to ensure that the Caucasus region does not slip from its control. Unlike the former colonial powers of the West, Russia has not repudiated its imperialist past.
