WSEAS Transactions on Environment and Development
Print ISSN: 1790-5079, E-ISSN: 2224-3496
Volume 18, 2022
Soft Power Phenomenon in Azerbaijan Foreign Policy: A Study on the Tourism Sector
Author:
Abstract: The concept of power, which is one of the most common discussion topics in the discipline of international relations, has been examined with many different dimensions, and the soft power dimension has become an important discussion and study area, especially since the Cold War. Physically, power is the efficiency achieved by using available forces. By a behavioral definition, power is the ability to change the behavior of others to achieve desired results. When we pay attention to the last centuries in the Caucasus, it is possible to say that the situation in the region has been shaped more by the axis of hard policy formation. Azerbaijan has aimed to produce foreign policy strategies by keeping the peaceful aspects in the foreground in the foreign policy formation process from its independence to the present day. While doing this, tourism emerges as a soft power element in foreign policy. One of the main problems of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy after independence has been the Karabakh problem. Azerbaijan’s gaining sovereignty after the 44-day war with Armenia in 2020 has led to the emergence of new opportunities. The natural beauties, historical artifacts, and cultural riches, which were liberated from the occupation after the 44-day war in the autumn of 2020, reveal the importance of tourism in Azerbaijan. Another important problem of the Azerbaijani economy is the country’s dependence on oil. Tourism can play the role of an alternative economy for diversifying the economy. Considering these factors, the present study aims to reveal the soft power tendency in Azerbaijan’s foreign policy-making process. In the process of scientific creation of the study, research was made based on the official data of the State Statistical Committee of Azerbaijan.
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Pages: 930-936
DOI: 10.37394/232015.2022.18.88