HEAD OF ISRAEL-AZERBAIJAN INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION: ARMENIA-TURKEY BORDER LESS LIKELY TO OPEN

Today
Dec 21 2009
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with Joseph Shagal, president of Israel-Azerbaijan
International Association and former member of the Israeli Knesset
(parliament).

Day.Az: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently had a
formal meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama. He also debated
conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh and opening of the Armenian-Turkish
border. In your opinion, will the borders open soon?

Joseph Shagal: I believe the warming of Turkish-Armenian relations and
settlement of the Karabakh problem are interrelated. They should be
linked. There are different views on this issue. My opinion is that
the Armenian-Turkish border is unlikely to open before resolution of
the Karabakh conflict sees a progress.

What do you think about ratification of the Armenian-Turkish protocols
in the Turkish parliament? Why this process is stalled?

Whatever happens between Baku and Ankara, they are strategic partners
and ethnically close nations. This is a relationship which cannot be
called into question. So, when Turkey acts as a "peacemaker" in the
region, it is assumed that whatever steps Turkey takes, it will take
into account Azerbaijan’s interests.

I believe vast majority of Turkish MPs share this view. Maybe, signing
of the protocols is inhibited by the fact that once they are signed,
the borders will be open immediately and those MPs who link opening
of borders with the settlementof the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict want
to make sure that Azerbaijan’s national interests will not be harmed
and only in this case to move closer to Armenia. Unfortunately, there
are no guarantees in this case. It’s very difficult to say what will
happen next.

I have said many times (at the start of the Armenian-Turkish
rapprochement) that if Turkey could improve its relations with Armenia
without detriment to Azerbaijan’s interests on the Karabakh problem,
it will be a great victory of Turkish diplomacy. This has not happened
yet. I hope this will happen precisely in such a scenario.

Armenian media says Sargsyan has ordered to amend the Constitution
so that Armenia will have a right to withdraw its signatures from
under the international documents. To what extent Armenia is likely
to recall its signatures from the Turkey-Armenia protocols?

A lot people oppose linking the Karabakh problem with the
Armenian-Turkish rapprochement in Armenia. Hence the statements of
prominent politicians and political analysts, who say "why all this
is tied in one knot?"

Let’s just say, what happens in the Turkish Parliament with the plus
sign occurs in the Armenian parliament with a minus sign. The Armenian
side does not want to link these two processes.

Azerbaijan’s policy in this situation is very clear. Azerbaijan
expresses its position very clearly. In my opinion, Azerbaijan would
welcome warming of relations between Armenia and Turkey, if only it
does no harm to country’s national interests. But policies of Turkey
and Armenia are not unambiguous.

The U.S. Congress is going to allocate $8 million for the Karabakh
separatists? What are your views on this issue?

Well, allocation of these funds does not mean recognition of
Nagorno-Karabakh as a sovereign state. In my opinion, this is a
purely humanitarian mission. I think this amount is not so large to
get concerned over it.

The U.S. Congress has already expressed its views on this issue,
and they all share Azerbaijan’s position on settling the Karabakh
problem and determining status of Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity. I think the funds have been allocated for
Karabakh for purely humanitarian reasons. I do not see any far-reaching
conclusions behind this decision.

It was reported earlier that Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman
will visit Azerbaijan. Do you think the issue of opening Azerbaijani
embassy in Israel will be raised during the visit?

I know that the visit is planned. Certainly, opening Azerbaijani
embassy in Israel is constantly on agenda in the context of bilateral
relations between Israel and Azerbaijan.

We have repeatedly said that this decision would be correct. The
dialogue on this topic continues. Mr. Lieberman treats the bilateral
relations between Israel and Azerbaijan with high accuracy. I think
the visit will certainly take place in the coming year.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress