The thesis aims to characterize the development of relations between the EU and Azerbaijan, particularly in the fields of democracy promotion and energy policy, within the context of Eastern Partnership. It seeks to examine the Eastern Partnership initiative in relation to Azerbaijan, especially in the area of the EU support to the democratization processes in Azerbaijan. At the same time, the main milestones of the EU-Azerbaijan relations in the energy sphere will be followed. Bearing in mind the dependence of the EU on external suppliers and huge resources of Azerbaijan in both oil and gas, it illustrates the possible shifts in how the normative content of the EU policy towards Azerbaijan might have been influenced by the EU interests in the energy policy sphere. Methodologically it is based on the concepts of conditionality and normativity within Neighourhood Europeanization according to F.Schimmelfennig and E. McDonagh. The research employs a method of content analysis of documents concerning EU-Azerbaijani relations and discourse analysis of the speeches of the EU representatives in the period examined. Simultaneously, a method of process tracing allows us to path how this “normative” content might face shifts by the EU interests in the energy policy sphere. Particularly it explores to what extent a signature of a particular energy contracts between the EU and Azerbaijan might have influenced the EU’s rhetoric towards Azerbaijan in democracy and human rights issues.