Azerbaijan’s Membership in BRICS and SCO: Myths and Realities

Abstract
The Azerbaijani government is rapidly changing its course. Following the adoption of the "Joint Declaration on the Establishment of Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the People's Republic of China," Azerbaijan's intent to first become a member of BRICS and then a dialogue partner, along with its ambition to obtain observer status in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), signals a recent U-turn towards the East, specifically the Global South. This article will focus on the reasons driving the Azerbaijani government, which has long been committed to European integration through close neighborhood relations and the Eastern Partnership programs, towards this opposite path and the potential consequences it might entail. At the same time, we will assess the gains and losses in the new political and economic situation that this change may create. The paper examines the myths and realities of Azerbaijan's membership in BRICS and SCO, providing a crucial understanding of the country's future direction.

Keywords: Azerbaijan, China, BRICS, SCO, Middle Corridor, IMEC, transit revenues, tourism, transport