Strategic trade alignment and sovereign flexibility: Azerbaijan’s WTO accession dilemma in a shifting global order

Azerbaijan’s potential accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) was highly relevant, as it reflected the broader challenge of reconciling economic modernisation with the preservation of sovereignty in a rapidly shifting global and regional context. The purpose of this study was to explore Azerbaijan’s path towards WTO accession as a case study of how emerging economies sought to reconcile multilateral trade commitments with the protection of Azerbaijan’s strategic sectors. The research employed a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative analysis of trade and political economy documentation with comparative benchmarking against post-Soviet states that had already undertaken accession. The findings showed that WTO membership held the potential to promote long-term diversification of the Azerbaijan’s economy, strengthen investor confidence, and enhance transparency in regulatory frameworks. However, accession commitments were also likely to limit the government’s capacity to apply protective measures in sensitive sectors, particularly agriculture, energy, and services. The analysis revealed that Azerbaijan’s accession choices were not exclusively economic; they were shaped by evolving regional alliances, fluctuations in hydrocarbon markets, and pressures from global trade liberalisation. To capture these tensions, the study proposed the conceptual framework of “strategic trade alignment and sovereign flexibility”, which explained Azerbaijan’s cautious stance in negotiations. The results of the research could be applied by trade negotiators in formulating strategies for accession that achieve integration into the global economy while maintaining adaptive governance mechanisms