Azerbaijan?s minorities politics in the process of integration to European Union

The issue of minorities is a significant problem occupying world?s agenda on international relationships. This issue has began to be discussed much more frequently in international law after World War ?? . We see that in that periods minorities were given ?negative rights? under the name of ?preventing discrimination?. But it has been seen that these negative rights are not enough in the course of time. Especially, as a result of separating of Soviet Union and fall dawn of East Block, the ethnic conflicts in East Europe and in Caucasia have required new arrangements about minorities. Different regulations have been made about protection of minorities after that period.European Union has turned into political integration than economic integration after Maastricht Treaty. We see that member countries have solved their minority problems within their law and historical traditions. Also, while the member countries are signing different treaties, they arrange minority rights by declaring to the internal jurisdiction. However, the minority rights are always on the agenda and they are determined as criteria to be member in the relationships with candidate or third countries.Azerbaijan has gained its independence again after seventy years of interval as a result of separating of Soviet Union. In the first year of independence, Nagorno-Karabakh War has caused heavy materialistic and spiritualist damages for country. The process of integration with world has begun after obtaining ceasefire. Rich natural resources have accelerated the integration with the West. The minority rights in the country are protected generally in the frame of ?negative? rights. But the 1992 President Law ?The Government Subsidy to Protection of Rights and Freedom, Development of Language and Culture of National Minorities, Small Nations and Ethnic Groups that Live in Azerbaijan? gave minorities and small nations positive rights.Integration to European Union is one of the most important aims of Azerbaijan external politics. There exist mutual relations with direction of this aim. Generally, these issues above and the situation of minorities in world law, in the frame of EU and in the Azerbaijan law have been examined in this thesis.Key Words: Minorities, Preventing Discrimination, European Union, Azerbaijan