news.az, Azerbaijan
Feb 6 2010
Israel interested in Azerbaijan’s participation in settlement of many problems
Sat 06 February 2010 | 04:52 GMT
Yevda Abramov News.Az interviews Yevda Abramov, chief of
interparliamentary group of friendship Azerbaijan-Israel, Azerbaijani
parliament deputy.
Israeli FM is expected to pay an official visit to Azerbaijan next
week. Which role will this event play in the development of bilateral
ties between our countries?
Certainly, when a country is visited by a senior official of another
country, this contributes to the development of the bilateral
interstate relations. As is known, Israeli President Shimon Peres paid
an official visit to Azerbaijan in 2009 while the second senior
official, foreign minister and first vice premier of the Israeli state
Avigdor Lieberman will arrive in Baku today. His visit conducted at
the invitation of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry will be held on
February 9-11. Probably, this visit will focus on the serious
discussion of important regional problems concerning both Azerbaijan
and Israel. As far as I know, during the visit to our country Avigdor
Lieberman will have meetings with the leaders of the Jewish community
of Azerbaijan to pay attention to the participation of the Jews
residing here in the sociopolitical processes and their living
conditions.
Certainly, such visits are extremely important. Today they are very
important for both countries. I would like to note that peoples
residing in Azerbaijan accepted the incident between the Turkish and
Israeli leaders last year and the debate around the new series of the
Turkish Gurtlar Vadisi ambiguously. I think a wide range of issues of
the Azerbaijani-Israeli and Turkish-Israeli relations will be widely
discussed on the level of the foreign ministries again. Special
attention will be paid to Tel-Aviv’s policy in the Middle East and
Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas is also expected to visit Azerbaijan,
according to mass media. Wide discussions will be held around this
issue.
Naturally, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry will raise the Karabakh
issue too. The policy of the Israeli state in this issue is quite
clear. Israel is among the countries supporting the territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan and speaking for the peaceful resolution of
the Karabakh conflict on the basis of mutually profitable solution.
But despite this, I dare suppose that the recent events in the
resolution of the Karabakh conflict, in particular, the recent meeting
of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Russia is probably the
focus of attention of the Israeli diplomats and these issues will be
largely discussed.
You are chairing the interparliamentary group of Azerbaijan-Israel
friendship and in this connection you probably have information about
which documents can be signed during the visit of the Israeli FM to
Baku¦
Yes, I often visit Israel at the invitation of the nongovernmental
organizations by the line of the interparliamentary group. I would
like to say that peoples residing in Israel and Azerbaijani residents
that are well familiar with the history of the Israeli people speak
for strengthening friendship between our two states.
As for signing any agreements, I do not have the idea about the
documents that Mr.Lieberman will carry to Baku. But, I think that,
probably, by results of the bilateral meeting the ministers will sign
a joint declaration. The bilateral agreements signed during Israeli
president’s visit to Azerbaijan have undoubtedly influenced the
development of cooperation between our countries and different
structures. Certainly, the current visit and the meeting of the
foreign ministers will leave their trace in the development of
bilateral relations, a document will be signed but I find it difficult
to specify the aspects and the sphere it will cover.
Which achievements have there been in the relations between Baku and
Tel-Aviv since the last-year’s visit of the Israeli president?
Certainly, there are such achievements. Primarily, I would like to say
that no leader of the Palestinian state has ever arrived in Azerbaijan
before, while now Mahmud Abbas is preparing to visit Baku. He will
probably come for a good reason. I think, Azerbaijan’s role in this
issue may intensify, therefore, making use of its friendship with
Tel-Aviv, Baku may assume the role of the third party. Israel is also
interested in Azerbaijan’s active involvement in the settlement of
many issues, because Baku’s influence in the region has grown
dramatically. Today, there are many issues that cannot be settled
without Azerbaijan’s participation.
In addition, a serious agreement has recently been signed in Khachmaz.
The construction of a big vegetable complex has been invested $30 mln.
It will involve English, Israeli and Azerbaijan businessmen in the
issue of ready production packing and its sale. Today, the Israeli
specialists are laying a long section of the Ganja highway. That is we
observe the development of both political and economic ties. Today
Tel-Aviv is interested in laying gas pipelines. Thus, Israeli
Infrastructure Minister Beniamin ben-Elizer has once offered to lay a
gas pipe via Turkey to the Red Sea. Probably, these issues will be
discussed by the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Israel.
Certainly, there are positive achievements.
Leyla Tagiyeva
News.Az
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress