EU-Azerbaijan relations and their future perspectives

• Název v anglickém jazyce: EU-Azerbaijan relations and their future perspectives
• Klíčová slova: Europská unie; Azerbajdžan; dohody o partnerství; mezinárodní vztahy
• Klíčová slova anglicky: European Union, Azerbaijan; EU partnerships; international relations
• Akademický rok vypsání: 2015/2016
• Typ práce: diplomová práce
• Jazyk práce: angličtina
• Ústav: Katedra politologie (23-KP)
• Vedoucí / školitel: doc. PhDr. Vít Střítecký, M.Phil., Ph.D.
• Řešitel: skrytý - zadáno vedoucím/školitelem
• Datum přihlášení: 20.06.2016
• Datum zadání: 05.07.2016

Zásady pro vypracování

According to the standards for FSV UK.

Seznam odborné literatury

Bengtsson, R. (2010). The EU and the European Security Order. London: Routledge. pp.45-55
Deni, J. and Stegen, K. (2014). Transatlantic Energy Relations. London: Routledge.
Elsuwege, P. (2016). Legislative Approximation and Application of EU Law in the Eastern Neighborhood of the European Union. Available at: http://Legislative Approximation and Application of EU Law in the Eastern Neighborhood of the European Union. International Politics and the New Emerging Democracies.
Frappi, C. and Pashayeva, G. (2013). EU Eastern Partnership. Common framework or wider opportunity? The EU-Azerbaijani Perspectives on Cooperation. EGEA spa, pp.43-67.
Krüger, H. (2010). The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict. Berlin: Springer.
Lyutskanov, E. (2013). Energy Security in the Wider Black Sea Area - National and Allied Approaches. IOS Press.
Popescu, N. (2011). EU Foreign Policy and Post-Soviet Conflicts. London: Routledge, pp-95
Tocci, N. (2011). The European Union, Civil Society and Conflict. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, pp-50
Van Vooren, B. (2012). EU External Relations Law and the European Neighborhood Policy: A paradigm for coherence. Routledge. Available at: http://cadmus.eui.eu/handle/1814/19916.
Waal, T. (2016). Why We Need to Contain Caucasus. [Available at: http://Why We Need to Contain Caucasus. [Accessed 4 May 2016].
Youngs, R. (2009). Energy Security. London: Routledge. pp.6-100
Ziyadov, T. (2012). Azerbaijan as a Regional Hub in Central Eurasia. Baku: Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy.

Předběžná náplň práce

Topic Characteristics / Research Question(s):
My thesis will focus on the EU-Azerbaijan relations and the cooperation between different EU and Azerbaijani institutions in political, economic and social spheres. As a young independent country Azerbaijan is very interested in deepening its relations with EU, since the Euro-Atlantic integration is the way that Azerbaijan sees its future direction and willing to follow this path. Though, there are no discussions between the EU and Azerbaijan for the economic association, the ongoing negotiations at the level of Action Plan for Azerbaijan strengthening the European Neighborhood Policy in the Caucasus area, Strategic Energy Partnership and Eastern Partnership imply that relations between these parties have a high priority.

Research questions:
Research question 1: What is the character of relation between EU-Azerbaijan by analyzing and investigating the factors that shaped the relations”
Research question 2: “How the parties see the direction of the cooperation, what are the main obstacles and the future perspectives?
I would like to start my research from the period when EU and Azerbaijan expressed their interest for the first time in establishing the cooperation and the formats that these relations started to evolve. In my thesis I will also touch upon the main challenges and problems, including Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, hindering the development of the relations in its full capacity. I will consider how the relations between various institutions of the EU and Azerbaijan have developed and what are the main spheres that have a chance to be taken forward.

Working hypotheses:
1. More differentiation in the EU approach towards Eastern Partnership countries is essential.
2. The EU-Azerbaijan relationship has important externalities from the economic and the geopolitical points of view.
3. The protracted conflict in Nagorno Karabakh needs multilateral negotiations where the EU-Turkey and EU-Russia relations are involved.
4. Turning Azerbaijan to an effective strategic partner in the energy supplies to the EU requires new visions and economic commitments for guaranteeing the EU energy security.
5. Azerbaijan is an important regional trade hub connecting East with the West and North with the South.

Methodology:
My research will be based on the theories of international negotiations, plus institutional realism and neorealism used as the theoretical framework. The research questions will be analyzed from the points of “Process interests”, “Relationship interests” and “Interest in Principles”. I will study the relations between Azerbaijan and EU from the point of view of political liberalism by assessing institutional links between these partners and the functions of such institutions subjected to targeted objectives.
I am going to use quantitative review methodology, which will combine tests and analyses that view the objectives and their pre-requisites from different aspects.

Outline
1.Introduction
2. European Neighborhood policy in the regional context.
Cooperation with Azerbaijan within Eastern Partnership Program
3. EU –Azerbaijan relations
External Policy of Azerbaijan towards the EU.
4. Analysis of the five key factors
a. Trade, investment, economic relations
b. Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Conflict resolution.
c. Energy cooperation.
d. Mobility and facilitated travel. Visa agreements
e. Educational cooperation.
5. Conclusion.

Předběžná náplň práce v anglickém jazyce

Topic Characteristics / Research Question(s):
My thesis will focus on the EU-Azerbaijan relations and the cooperation between different EU and Azerbaijani institutions in political, economic and social spheres. As a young independent country Azerbaijan is very interested in deepening its relations with EU, since the Euro-Atlantic integration is the way that Azerbaijan sees its future direction and willing to follow this path. Though, there are no discussions between the EU and Azerbaijan for the economic association, the ongoing negotiations at the level of Action Plan for Azerbaijan strengthening the European Neighborhood Policy in the Caucasus area, Strategic Energy Partnership and Eastern Partnership imply that relations between these parties have a high priority.

Research questions:
Research question 1: What is the character of relation between EU-Azerbaijan by analyzing and investigating the factors that shaped the relations”
Research question 2: “How the parties see the direction of the cooperation, what are the main obstacles and the future perspectives?
I would like to start my research from the period when EU and Azerbaijan expressed their interest for the first time in establishing the cooperation and the formats that these relations started to evolve. In my thesis I will also touch upon the main challenges and problems, including Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, hindering the development of the relations in its full capacity. I will consider how the relations between various institutions of the EU and Azerbaijan have developed and what are the main spheres that have a chance to be taken forward.

Working hypotheses:
1. More differentiation in the EU approach towards Eastern Partnership countries is essential.
2. The EU-Azerbaijan relationship has important externalities from the economic and the geopolitical points of view.
3. The protracted conflict in Nagorno Karabakh needs multilateral negotiations where the EU-Turkey and EU-Russia relations are involved.
4. Turning Azerbaijan to an effective strategic partner in the energy supplies to the EU requires new visions and economic commitments for guaranteeing the EU energy security.
5. Azerbaijan is an important regional trade hub connecting East with the West and North with the South.

Methodology:
My research will be based on the theories of international negotiations, plus institutional realism and neorealism used as the theoretical framework. The research questions will be analyzed from the points of “Process interests”, “Relationship interests” and “Interest in Principles”. I will study the relations between Azerbaijan and EU from the point of view of political liberalism by assessing institutional links between these partners and the functions of such institutions subjected to targeted objectives.
I am going to use quantitative review methodology, which will combine tests and analyses that view the objectives and their pre-requisites from different aspects.

Outline
1.Introduction
2. European Neighborhood policy in the regional context.
Cooperation with Azerbaijan within Eastern Partnership Program
3. EU –Azerbaijan relations
External Policy of Azerbaijan towards the EU.
4. Analysis of the five key factors
a. Trade, investment, economic relations
b. Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Conflict resolution.
c. Energy cooperation.
d. Mobility and facilitated travel. Visa agreements
e. Educational cooperation.
5. Conclusion.