Banner: Azerbaijani TV presenter Khoshgadam Hidayatgizi urging the Georgian Azerbaijani community to support Georgian Dream. (Source: r/sakartvelo)

As Georgia drifts further from the West, a strikingly familiar narrative is emerging—not from Tbilisi, but from Baku. Azerbaijani politicians and pro-government media have seized on Georgia’s democratic backsliding, repackaging its anti-Western rhetoric for domestic audiences as proof of the West’s waning influence. This carefully curated messaging not only reinforces Azerbaijan’s own anti-Western discourse but also signals a growing ideological alignment between the two South Caucasus nations. 

Despite its economic dependence on the European Union (EU), Baku has increasingly embraced anti-Western rhetoric in recent years—an approach mirroring Tbilisi. The Georgian Dream party has shifted to promoting anti-Western narratives, exploring closer ties with Russia, and strengthening alliances with authoritarian states like China. The growing connection between the leadership of Georgia and Azerbaijan is evident—Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was the first foreign leader to congratulate Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Georgian Dream’s election victory, dismissing widespread allegations of electoral fraud. Further reinforcing this alignment, Kobakhidze chose Azerbaijan as his first official foreign visit after the October 2024 parliamentary elections. According to a report by the independent Azerbaijani media outlet Mikroskop Media, the Azerbaijani president’s office issued directives to local media and NGOs on how to frame the Georgian election results. These instructions emphasized themes such as voters choosing peace and tradition over conflict, the significant electoral role of Azerbaijani voters in Georgia, and framing the outcome as a setback for Western influence in the region. 

This growing alignment between Georgia and Azerbaijan extends beyond rhetoric—it also raises concerns about democratic backsliding. Azerbaijan’s trajectory to authoritarianism serves as a cautionary tale for Georgia, illustrating the risks of democratic erosion. Over the past few years, Georgia has faced increasing threats to political competitiveness, the rule of law, and freedoms of speech and association, signaling a steady drift away from democratic principles and Euro-Atlantic institutions.

The DFRLab examined Azerbaijani coverage in three pivotal moments that have heightened tensions between Georgia and the West: the October 2024 parliamentary elections, Georgia’s suspension of EU accession talks in November 2024 (which sparked nationwide protests), and Georgia’s withdrawal from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in January 2025. Analyzing official statements, media reports, and public discourse in Azerbaijan reveals a strategic alignment between Azerbaijani and Georgian authorities via patterns in political messaging.

The 2024 parliamentary elections in Georgia drew significant attention from Azerbaijani state-controlled media. Azerbaijani media aligned closely with Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party, portraying it as a defender of peace and sovereignty against alleged Western attempts to destabilize the country.  

During the lead-up to elections, Georgian Dream’s central campaign message positioned the party as the sole guarantor of peace in the country. They claimed that if the opposition won, it would inevitably lead to war. Azerbaijani media similarly framed the elections in Georgia as a choice between peace and war and depicted the elections as a referendum on Georgia’s future, portraying Georgian Dream as the party of peace and its opposition as being aligned with external forces that seek to drag the country into conflict. Azerbaijani coverage suggested that Western powers were increasing pressure on Georgia to take a more confrontational stance toward Russia, thereby dragging Georgia into chaos. According the Azerbaijani narrative, the West’s ultimate goal is to open a “second front” against Russia by pushing Georgia into renewed hostilities with Russia. This coverage also argued that around 300,000 ethnically Azerbaijani citizens of Georgia acted as defenders of peace and traditional values in the Georgian parliamentary elections.  

Azerbaijani commentators and media outlets widely claimed that Western governments and organizations played a direct and malign role in attempting to influence the outcome of the Georgian elections. Reports asserted that the West had actively supported opposition parties by providing financial aid to undermine the Georgian Dream’s leadership and install a more Western-aligned government. Azerbaijani coverage also claimed that pressure from the West was not new, citing the 2008 Russia-Georgia war when Georgia, allegedly under Western encouragement, engaged in military actions to reclaim separatist regions but was left alone in the face of Russian military intervention. In view of this, Azerbaijani pro-government news agency Report.az suggested that the 2024 parliamentary elections were a chance for Georgia to stand against the West, blaming the latter for encouraging Georgia to sacrifice its territorial integrity.  

Using the social media monitoring platform Meltwater Explore, the DFRLab analyzed Azerbaijani-language mentions of the word for “Georgia” alongside the local language equivalents for “peace” or “war” in Azerbaijani news outlets and identified approximately 800 such references between September 1 and December 31, 2024. The first notable surge of mentions occurred on October 19 and centered around discussions of the “3+3” format – a regional cooperation initiative that intends to strengthen trade and economic ties between Turkey, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia – and its potential role in fostering regional cooperation and stability in the South Caucasus. Articles during this period discussed Western influence in Georgian elections and its possible impact on regional stability. The second spike on October 27 coincided with Georgia’s parliamentary elections, with coverage largely focused on election outcomes and their implications for the country’s security and stability, with many reports suggesting that the results would ensure peace and prosperity. The final surge on December 18 was linked to an interview with Aliyev on the Russian TV channel Russia-24, where he discussed Georgian elections in the context of maintaining peace and stability. 

During a broadcast, Azerbaijani TV presenter Khoshgadam Hidayatgizi urged the Georgian Azerbaijani community to support Georgian Dream. She emphasized that a stable and peaceful Georgia was crucial for Azerbaijan, warning that any turmoil could have negative consequences for both countries. Several days prior to the parliamentary vote, Hidayatgizi encouraged voters to prioritize stability and peace over war. 

On November 28, 2024, Georgia halted negotiations regarding its EU membership bid, stating that the Georgian Dream sought to prevent the EU from exerting further pressure and coercion. Along similar lines, Azerbaijani media presented this news as Georgia refusing to “bow to Western pressure.” Report.az suggested that the West intended to overthrow the government in Georgia because Georgian Dream pursued a balanced foreign policy approach in cooperating with Russia and other countries. Azerbaijani MP Ramil Hasanov claimed that when democratically elected leaders oppose Western interests, the West seeks to oust them and install loyal allies. Echoing this sentiment, MP Azar Badamov claimed that the West’s involvement in a country’s affairs leads to territorial losses, destabilization, a weakened state, and threats to sovereignty. Similarly, MP Elchin Mirzabayli asserted that the West was trying to turn Georgia into the West’s vassal, while MP Elman Nasirov asserted that the new Georgian government had chosen the right political course for the country’s future, prioritizing independence and national interests. In one instance, the pro-government Trend News Agency published an article with the headline “Threats and pressure: Georgia does not want to be a slave to the West.” This article was republished by at least three other Azerbaijani media outlets: Sonxeber.net, Day.az, and Milli.az.  

Following the Georgian government’s decision to suspend accession talks with the EU, large-scale protests erupted in the country. The speaker of the Georgian parliament, Shalva Papulashvili, accused Europe of inciting unrest in Georgia. Azerbaijani media promptly published reports alleging the West was fueling civil unrest in Georgia, and possibly even a “civil war.” Meanwhile, these narratives suggested that Western countries were supporting opposition forces to destabilize the government and install a pro-NATO government, drawing parallels with the political changes in Ukraine in 2014. Some commentators from Azerbaijan went so far as to say that the West planned to “use force in Georgia” in order to incite protests. Azerbaijani media also reported on the potential for a “color revolution” in Georgia, portraying it as a foreign-orchestrated attempt to reshape the country’s political landscape. The Azerbaijani coverage drew comparisons to the 2003 Rose Revolution, which, according to an article published by pro-government outlet Oxu.az, was linked to Georgia’s territorial losses. Furthermore, Azerbaijani outlets warned that Western-backed NGOs were playing a key role in fostering unrest, attempting to divide Georgian society by pushing narratives that justified external intervention. The news outlet Moderator also claimed without evidence that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had sent five hundred people to Tbilisi to “implement a color revolution scenario in Georgia” and overthrow the Georgian government.

On January 29, 2025, Georgia withdrew its delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) after the assembly passed a resolution calling for Tbilisi to hold new parliamentary elections. Tea Tsulukiani, deputy chairperson of the Georgian parliament, said the Georgian delegation was leaving PACE due to “unfair and unjustified blackmail against the government elected by the Georgian people.” Georgia’s withdrawal was framed in Azerbaijani media as a firm response to Western interference and political pressure. Reports suggested that the move symbolized Georgia’s commitment to safeguarding its sovereignty against European and American attempts to dictate its internal affairs. According to Azerbaijani MP Nasib Mahamaliyev, Georgia’s decision to suspend its participation in PACE demonstrated that Europe has no need for a state that pursues an independent policy and defends its sovereign rights and national interests. Azerbaijani media also drew parallels between Georgia’s decision and Azerbaijan’s earlier withdrawal from PACE, reinforcing the view that both nations are resisting external influence to maintain independent political trajectories. The DFRLab previously reported on how Azerbaijani state-aligned media and coordinated social media campaigns attacked PACE following Azerbaijan’s withdrawal from the assembly. Our findings revealed that many of the social media accounts that targeted PACE had apparent ties to the ruling New Azerbaijan Party and had previously engaged in other coordinated online operations. 

For this case study, the DFRLab used Meltwater Explore to analyze the ten Azerbaijani media outlets that mentioned the keyword “Georgia” most frequently between September 1, 2024, and February 28, 2025. The review found that the Azerbaijan State News Agency (AZERTAC) and the pro-government Report news agency each published over 1,000 articles referencing Georgia during this period. Analysis of the remaining eight outlets determined that all of them also promoted pro-Azerbaijani government narratives. 

The growing alignment between Azerbaijani and Georgian political narratives reflects a broader shift in the region as anti-Western rhetoric becomes a dominant theme. Azerbaijani pro-government media and politicians capitalized on Georgia’s political trajectory to spread similar narratives to an Azerbaijani audience, reinforcing skepticism toward the West and legitimizing repressive governance. The parallels between Georgia’s recent actions—its electoral messaging, crackdown on civil society, and distancing from European institutions—and Azerbaijan’s long-standing authoritarian model raise concerns about the erosion of democratic principles in the region. The extent to which this narrative alignment translates into lasting geopolitical consequences remains uncertain, but it underscores the increasing role of promoting aligned narratives in shaping regional politics. 

Givi Gigitashvili, “How Azerbaijani media and politicians endorse Georgia’s shift away from the West,” Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab), March 26, 2025, https://dfrlab.org/2025/03/26/how-azerbaijani-media-and-politicians-endorse-georgias-shift-away-from-the-west/.