On the 23rd of June 1997, Azerbaijan formally submitted an application to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland. Almost 23 years later, Azerbaijan still has not become a full-fledged member of the WTO and remains in the accession process. The WTO currently has 164 members, comprising the vast majority of nations in the world today, which makes Azerbaijan a bit of an anomaly. According to the WTO, the average length of time from application to membership is about 10 years and 2 months. Azerbaijan’s accession process has more than doubled this, and there appears to be no end date in sight. Despite its apparent desire to join the WTO, why has Azerbaijan still not become a full-fledged member? This research presents the case that weak institutions, which lack sufficient development, transparency, accountability and capabilities, are largely to blame for this. Furthermore, the analysis of Azerbaijan’s institutions suggests competing economic ideologies between Azerbaijani officials and the WTO.

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