Western intelligence chiefs in Baku
In the past ten days, high-ranking officials from British and American intelligence agencies visited Azerbaijan’s capital. These visits were quiet, attracting little attention. But why have the leaders of Western intelligence services come to Baku?
Azpolitika.az published an article exploring possible reasons behind these visits.
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“Richard Moore, head of the British intelligence service MI6, arrived in Baku on September 14 and delivered a lecture at ADA University. This became known from a publication by the university’s rectorate on social media.
Interestingly, neither the official Baku authorities nor the British Embassy in Azerbaijan have released any official information regarding this visit.
According to the Turan news agency, the purpose of Richard Moore’s visit was clearly not just to give a university lecture:
‘It is highly likely that he will hold talks with the country’s leadership on international and regional issues. It’s no surprise that he may have delivered certain messages from influential circles and governments in the West. The discussions probably involve relations with Russia and Iran, as well as the war in Ukraine.’
The unexpected visit of MI6’s chief to Baku occurred just a week after his meeting with the head of the U.S. CIA, William Burns, in London. Around the same time, Financial Times published an article signed by Moore and Burns about the threats to the international order. In that article, the heads of the UK’s Foreign Intelligence Service and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency stated: ‘The world order is facing a threat not seen since the Cold War.’
According to both intelligence chiefs, London and Washington are actively collaborating to create a united front ‘to counter Russia’s aggressive actions and Putin’s war in Ukraine.’
It’s also worth noting that R. Moore previously served as the British Ambassador to Turkey and as Deputy National Security Adviser to the UK Cabinet.
Notably, on September 10, Patrick Pryor, head of the European-Eurasian regional center of the U.S. Department of Defense’s intelligence unit, visited Azerbaijan and met with presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev. However, Pryor did not visit Yerevan.
What could be the primary objective behind these consecutive visits of high-ranking intelligence officials from two leading Western nations to Baku?”
Elkhan Shahinoglu, head of the Atlas Research Center, believes that the purpose of the two recent visits by Western intelligence officials to Baku was to discuss specific details of cooperation between the U.S., the UK, and Azerbaijan:
“It’s clear that intelligence leaders wouldn’t be discussing economic or political issues. There are appropriate officials and diplomats for that. They visit Azerbaijan to talk about political and economic cooperation. That’s a separate matter.
But when a high-ranking American intelligence official or the head of British intelligence comes to Baku, it means there are particular details that need to be discussed with Azerbaijan.
I think the main issue involves Russia’s influence in the South Caucasus, which needs to be addressed by the intelligence agencies of these two major powers. The U.S. and the UK are concerned about Russia’s capabilities in the region.
After Russian president Vladimir Putin’s visit to Azerbaijan in August, Russia’s efforts to control the Zangezur Corridor have intensified. Clearly, these initiatives don’t serve the interests of either Azerbaijan or Armenia, nor do they align with those of the U.S. and the UK. The Zangezur Corridor is a key part of the Middle Corridor, and neither the U.S. nor the UK wants transport routes from China to be controlled by Russia. If Russian forces take control of the Zangezur Corridor, it would mean Russia would have control over the Middle Corridor.
This doesn’t suit the interests of many countries. I believe this could be one of the main topics being discussed.”
Secondly, there is a need to discuss issues related to the COP29 event. In November, Baku will host a major international event with the participation of world leaders, and it is expected that around 80,000 foreign guests will attend conferences and seminars in Baku over the course of two weeks. In this context, it is possible that the U.S. and the UK wanted to share specific intelligence information with Azerbaijan.