While Azerbaijan is certainly not one of the world's 20 largest economies, it is neither a permanent member of the G20 nor does it wield enough financial clout to be a regular attendee. Nevertheless, in December, President Ilham Aliyev was invited to attend the G20 summit in Miami. In the above, we see an aspect of contemporary diplomacy that is telling in itself; namely, that what matters to major nations is not necessarily their economic size but their strategic importance.
America has offered to host this summit from the 14th to the 15th of December, where Azerbaijan is among the guest countries along with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Singapore, and some European countries. The invitation was announced in July and has been mentioned in the summit’s participant information. This is merely a matter of diplomacy, not the addition of the country to the G20.
The economies represented by the G20 account for 85% of global production, says the International Monetary Fund. The G20 gatherings introduce invited nations to those who affect commerce, money flows, energy policy and geopolitical risks. They do not guarantee agreement, investment or power.
But they place the nation’s concerns before a very influential group. Guest invitations are also a sign of who holds the key to the door. It is up to the host country to open up dialogue with countries it finds necessary without necessarily giving them membership in the club.
This selective approach works two ways. It means that the visit by President Aliyev is significant, but Washington still holds the keys. While we are in the early stages of the 2020s, the idea of the US being number one has significantly diminished.
Perhaps the world order aspires to transition into a multilateral system, which some might argue is inevitable. Realistically speaking, however, Uncle Sam still holds a stronger hand in international relations - like it or not. With that being said, what makes the guest list intriguing is the company Azerbaijan keeps.
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