Azerbaijan–Greece_relations
Azerbaijan–Greece relations
Bilateral relations
In 1991, Azerbaijan recovered its independence from the Soviet Union, which was recognized by Greece on December 31, 1991. Diplomatic relations were established in 1992. The Greek embassy in Baku was opened in the spring of 1993. The embassy of Azerbaijan in Athens was opened in August 2004.
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC). Greece was the first European Union member country that wanted to directly import gas from Azerbaijan.[3] Both countries enjoyed recently-developed close relations in trade, culture, and economy.[4] Greek diaspora in Azerbaijan is concentrated in Baku and numbers about 250-300 people, most of them are descendants of the Black Sea Greeks of Asia Minor who in the late 19th and early 20th centuries migrated to Azerbaijan.[5]
However, because of the military partnership and between Greece and Armenia and at the same time, the close ties and alliance between Turkey and Azerbaijan, relations between the two countries is distanced and there have been several nationalist tensions.[6]
Azerbaijan also refuses to establish diplomatic relations with Cyprus and has maintained informal relations with TRNC instead (which has threatened Greece to recognise it several times).[7]
