A conference-discussion on Azerbaijan’s geostrategic position and regional role was held at the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS) in cooperation with the Embassy of Azerbaijan in France.
Moderated by Didier Billion, Scientific Adviser at IRIS and Head of the Middle East/North Africa Programme, the event brought together experts from France and Azerbaijan.
The speakers included Jean de Gliniasty, Senior Research Fellow at IRIS and former French Ambassador to Russia; Murad Muradov, Co-founder and Deputy Director of the Topchubashov Center; Sultan Zahidov, Leading Adviser at the Center for Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center); and Bayram Balci, a researcher at CERI–Sciences Po and former Director of the French Institute for Anatolian Studies in Istanbul.
Discussions focused on Azerbaijan’s early years of independence, National Leader Heydar Aliyev’s leadership, and the country’s growing strategic role amid changing geopolitical dynamics in the South Caucasus. The experts also examined Azerbaijan’s energy resources and contribution to European energy security, the Middle Corridor, the TRIPP project, prospects for Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization, and Azerbaijan’s relations with the European Union and France.
According to the organizers, nearly 300 researchers, doctoral students and historians participated in the hybrid conference, which featured simultaneous interpretation into French and English. Of these, 138 joined online.
The event concluded with a question-and-answer session, during which participants mainly raised questions about Azerbaijan’s bilateral relations with Asian countries and Israel.
