Just after the collapse of the USSR in 1991 Azerbaijan became a sovereign state with a desire to be more modern and advanced than previously-and less religious, though not totally secular, than its immediate neighbour the Islamic Republic of Iran. This article will show the calculations made by Azerbaijan to find a balance that would allow it to achieve the confidence necessary to both take on an important regional role as a modern and progressive state while juggling its relations with Russia, Iran, Armenia, and Israel. While fulfilling its strategic needs, Azerbaijan has been using its geo-strategic position to manoeuvre itself through a maze of regional pressures and both develop its national identity, its regional and world views as well as its preferred religious orientation − while using Israel to serve as its bridge to the West.