Cultural diplomacy as small-state statecraft : adaptation and constitutionalisation of soft power in Azerbaijan

Abstract

How do small states institutionalise soft power when geopolitical constraints preclude formal alliances and military coercion? This article examines Azerbaijan as a case of small-state adaptation, drawing on Thorhallsson’s shelter theory, Katzenstein’s small-states framework, Goetschel’s compensation thesis, and Cooper and Shaw’s vulnerability-resilience framework. It traces the evolution of Azerbaijan’s cultural diplomacy architecture through the international activities of First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, arguing that these activities may be interpreted as components of a small-state soft power strategy. The article introduces the concept of the constitutionalisation of soft power — the formal embedding of cultural-diplomatic functions within constitutional executive authority — and argues that existing concepts (soft power, public diplomacy, nation branding, first-lady diplomacy, dynastic governance) each capture only partial dimensions of this configuration. Comparative analysis suggests Azerbaijan appears unusual among post-Soviet states in having formalised such functions at constitutional succession level. Competing interpretations, including regime legitimation and dynastic governance, are identified and engaged throughout; the article does not adjudicate between them, since available public sources do not permit that determination.