Azerbaijan was the area of the Turkish and the Persian empire that did not become part of Iran because of Russian designs in search for warm waters.

” In 1812 Russia ended a war with Turkey and went on the offensive against Iran. This lead to the treaty of Gulistan in 1813, which gave Russia control over large territories that hitherto had been at least nominally Iranian, and moreover a say in Iranian succession politics. The whole of Daghestan and Georgia, including Mingrelia and Abkhazia were formally ceded to Russia, as well as eight Azeri Khanates (Karabakh, Ganja, Sheki, Kuba, Shirvan, Talysh, Baku, and Derbent). However as we have seen the Persians soon challenged Russia ‘s rule in the area, resulting in a military disaster. Iran lost control over the whole of Azerbaijan, and with the Turkemenchai settlement of 1828 Russia threatened to establish its control over Azerbaijan unless Iran paid a war indemnity. The British helped the Iranians with the matter, but the fact remained that Russian troops had marched as far as south of Tabriz. Although certain areas (including Tabriz) were returned to Iran, Russia was in fact at the peak of its territorial expansion.  Prof. Svante Cornell, “Small nations and great powers: A Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict in the Caucasus”, Richmond: Curzon Press, 2001, p. 37. 
 

An oil-rich part of Azerbaijan called Da?l?q Qaraba? (mountainous Karabakh) or Yuxar? Qaraba? (upper Karabakh) or Nagorno Karabakh has an Armenian majority.  After the war over the area between the Azeris and the Armenians, in May 1994, the Armenians occupied 14% of the territory of Azerbaijan.  An unofficial cease-fire was reached on May 12, 1994 through Russian negotiation, and continues today. This creates a sore point between Muslim Azerbaijan and Christian Armenia.

Azarbaijan a Caspian Sea country was in the Russian camp and part of the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization). Azarbaijan has requested that the UN to ask Armenia to vacate the occupied territory. The USA, France and Russia have refused to support the vacation of the occupied territory.

Contrast the behaviour between Kashmir, and East Timor, and between Palestine and Nagorno Karabakh.

Azarbaijan has deep religious, linguistic and ethnic linkages with Iran. The options for Azarbaijan are to look towards Iran and China, both of which support Azarbaijan. This is part of Central Asia, where Pakistan is a natural ally.

Azerbaijan warns France, Russia, US over UN vote

MOSCOW: Azerbaijan warned it would review relations with France, Russia and the United States on Saturday after they voted against a UN resolution calling on Armenia to pull out of Azeraijani territory, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported.

“Azerbaijan will re-examine and change its relations with” France, Russia and the United States, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov was quoted by Interfax as saying in Baku.

The UN General Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution demanding the “immediate, complete and unconditional” withdrawal of all Armenian forces from Azerbaijan’s territory in a vote in which more than 100 countries abstained.

France, Russia and the United States are co-chairs of the Minsk Group, which was created in 1992 by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe to resolve a conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno Karabakh.

The three countries voted against the resolution, arguing that as mediators they had to remain neutral. Four other countries also voted against the resolution, which was adopted by 39 countries voting in favour.

Armenian forces seized control of Nagorny Karabakh and seven surrounding regions from Azerbaijan in the early 1990s, in a war that claimed an estimated 30,000 lives and forced about a million people to flee their homes.

Despite his criticism, Azimov said Azerbaijan was “pleased” with the UN resolution as a whole.

“It must be clear to everyone that Azerbaijan can only accept a conflict resolution that is based on the principle of territorial integrity,” he said. – AFP