Author: Takmazian

CENTRAL BOARD OF JEWS IN GERMANY ASKS TURKEY TO RECOGNIZE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

news/central-board-of-jews-in-germany-asks-turkey- to-recognize-the-armenian-geno-p3106.htm?twindow=D efault&smenu=1&mad=No

Stephan J. Kramer is the Secretary General of the Central Council of
Jews in Germany

Question: Recently, the ARD showed the film "Aghet – a Genocide"
by Eric Friedler, triggering a global discussion. April 24, 2010
marks the 95th Anniversary of the start of Turkish crimes against
the Armenians. What are your thoughts on this issue?

Stephan J. Kramer: The discussion about the genocide of the Armenians
has been going on for decades with a passion. Unfortunately, the
issue has been all too often opportunistically sacrificed on the
altar of international political interests and dependencies to the
NATO-member Turkey. Even Israeli and American governments have not
covered themselves with glory on this issue. The film has made a
significant contribution to the debate. For the first time, existing
historical material worked well for the average public. Previously this
had not succeeded. I agree with the views of Gunter Grass, that the
film should be broadcast on Turkish television without ifs and buts.

Question: Some have labeled the film as "propaganda". What do you say?

Stephan J. Kramer: The propaganda charge is a popular but inadequate
attempt to extricate oneself from the truth when the objective burden
of proof presented is overwhelming. The film is based on historical
material from international sources that are accessible to everyone.

Even in Germany, the former allies of Turkey, there are these reports
and memos about the terrible crimes in the archives of the Foreign
Office. Back in July 1915, the German Ambassador Wangenheim reported
to the Foreign Office in Berlin, that there is "no doubt that they
are trying to wipe out the Armenian race in the Turkish Empire."

Question: Was it a genocide?

Stephan J. Kramer: Because of the facts known to me, I say that it was
a genocide. But the more important question is how to judge the Turkish
government and the Turkish people for this crime. Already in 1998,
the Council of Europe recognized the crimes against the Armenians as
genocide. The US-Congress’ Foreign Affairs Committee, in March 2010,
albeit by a narrow majority, approved a resolution that stated that it
was a genocide. The vast majority of international scientists concur
with this view. All of this is beneficial but not worth much, if the
Turkish government does not finally start to use the comprehensive
and internationally-known facts to draw their own conclusions. This
is not about the Turkey of today. But they must point an admonitory
index finger to the deeds of their great-grandfathers collectively
and humiliate them on the international dock. The process of working
this out must finally be put in motion.

Question: What conclusions can be drawn now? What do you expect
from Turkey?

Stephan J. Kramer: Turkey is a fascinating country undergoing change.

It deserves to be treated with respect. I therefore hope, first,
that Turkey recognizes the need for a formal declaration to be put
into action. Second, grief and sympathy in the Turkish collective
entities should be forthcoming, and I have the feeling this is already
growing in readiness. The darkest chapter of German history has shown
that only after the Germans saw the horrors of their Nazi past they
could begin to live with the past and overcome it. Both events are
not comparable, but apply to all of us. Only those who deal with the
past can conquer the future

HARUT SASSOUNIAN: TRUE TO THE PAST
Patt Morrison

e–morrison-20100424-21,0,3827444.column?page=2
Ap ril 23, 2010 | 5:07 p.m.

The Armenian American is a high-profile figure on the genocide.

Today isn’t so much a red-letter day on the Armenian calendar as a
black-letter one: the commemoration of the Armenian genocide in Turkey.

The Armenian American names Saroyan and Deukmejian, California writer
and governor, respectively, might ring a bell. Here’s one that sounds a
klaxon: Harut Sassounian, one of the most visible Armenian Americans in
a dozen time zones. As president of a major charity, he has delivered
above half a billion dollars in medical supplies, computers and
vital equipment to Armenia. As publisher and columnist of the weekly
California Courier, he presses for full, official acknowledgement of
the 1915 massacre as genocide, a knifepoint balancing act for the U.S.,
which counts Turkey as a major strategic ally.

He comes, he says, from a family of warriors – including his
grandmother, garlanded with a bandolier of bullets in a 1920s
photograph made in Syria, where he was born. His weapons are words and
paper; speaking for and to a sometimes fractious Armenian community,
he quotes an old line: "Bring two Armenians together, and they will
form three political parties."

April 24, 95 years ago, was the beginning of the genocide. What
happened?

Every important Armenian leader in Istanbul – writers, poets,
intellectuals, scholars, you name it – [the Turks] arrested them and
killed them. The Turks were thinking, "Once we kill off the leaders,
the rest are sheep without the shepherd."

The California Courier has been around since 1958 – and when you
arrived in 1983, you changed it.

The paper was started in Fresno by two gentlemen; one was an Armenian
by the name of George Mason. There were a handful of Armenian-language
papers at the time but not a single newspaper in English. It caught
like wildfire. It was a social newspaper; it wasn’t political at all.

So it went for 25 years. Then Mason hired me.

The first week, I wrote that the Turkish ambassador [to the United
States] should be expelled as persona non grata for the Armenian
genocide. Mason got tons of complaints – who is this radical terrorist
you hired? The column created such a reaction – initially a negative
reaction. They asked Mason to fire me immediately.

Why?

[Readers] were used to babies being born, vacations….. Many were
cultural Armenians, not political Armenians. Their Armenianism was
lifestyle Armenianism.

What’s wrong with that?

Nothing, but Armenians are also a nation [with] a long history and
culture, and genocide was committed against them. The newcomers,
it matters to them. They want to right the wrong; they feel strongly
about this injustice. If somebody wants to leave their history behind,
that’s their choice. But if somebody wants to struggle to regain what
we lost in the old country, he also has that right. You can protest,
you can petition your congressman, the president.

There’s a current news story about a bone marrow drive for a little
girl in Glendale who’s a quarter Armenian. The search focuses on
Armenians because they have a distinctive genetic makeup, being less
likely to marry outside their ethnic group. Why is that?

If you know what Armenians have been through, then you start
appreciating why. Armenians are an ancient people with an ancient
civilization. At one point basically every Armenian lost just about
everything – their grandparents, their language and culture. I cannot
go back and fight the genocide – I cannot bring back those people. I
cannot declare war against Turkey. So the only thing I can do is
to hang on to whatever little is left of the culture, as my way of
getting back at those who tried to wipe it out.

Armenians abroad dreamed of a free Armenia – and it happened after
the collapse of the Soviet Union.

We thought we wouldn’t see it in our lifetime. But all of a sudden
we woke up and behold, there’s a free Armenia. So part of our dream
is realized, but that’s not the full dream. The land west of current
Armenia, where Mt. Ararat [stands, along with] thousands of churches
and monuments, that’s where the real Armenian homeland is. Now we have
10% of what was Armenia historically. We’re looking forward to 90%.

There’s a very powerful Armenian brain trust here and around the
world. Would it help the Republic of Armenia for those people to
go back?

Some Armenians have gone back. But there are very practical
considerations. The country is so destitute, there basically are no
jobs. So unless you’re financially independent, you’re going to be
a burden. It takes a very hardened person to really go there and live.

Secondly, people have their lives, their families here. It really is
a hardship to pull up your roots.

Even if all Armenians want to move there, that’s not necessarily a
good thing. [The diaspora has] turned the tragedy of the genocide
inadvertently into a blessing because when the homeland needs
something, Armenians have contacts in terms of trade, import-export,
neighbors and colleagues. If it wasn’t for the Armenian Americans
lobbying Congress, Congress would be allocating much less aid to
Armenia. It would be worse off.

Armenia and Turkey are doing unprecedented work to normalize
relations. Why would Armenians abroad take a harder line toward Turkey
than the Armenian government does?

Running a country is different than being an individual in the
diaspora. If I were the president of Armenia, I would be making
decisions based on certain constraints that I don’t have sitting in
Glendale right now. As an individual I can take a very hard line.

In some instances, Armenia’s leadership would like to take a position
on something but they know it would have negative repercussions if they
became a little more demanding. The diaspora is much freer to make such
demands, so we make those demands. Sometimes, us taking a hard line
is very helpful to Armenia, because they look much more accommodating.

You once told The Times’ editorial board you wouldn’t talk to Turkish
officials, but you would talk to Turks.

What I said was, I do not speak with Turkish officials who deny the
genocide. There’s no point in arguing with them. They’re going to
deny it, no matter what I say. But regular Turks – I talk to them,
we communicate. Someone in Turkey now who’s 30, 40, even 70, 80 years
old, they have not committed any crime. I have no hatred or animosity
against the Turkish population at large. These people have not done
anything against me or my people. The Turks who did the crime are
dead. What is really sad and unhelpful is today’s Turkish leaders
denying such an event took place, sort of linking themselves to the
earlier crime by covering it up.

[Recently] on Turkish CNN, four prominent scholars [said they were]
for the recognition of the Armenian genocide. One line was just a
killer line: "In Turkey, we have Armenians desperately trying to prove
to the world that they were killed, and Kurds desperately trying to
prove that they’re alive, that they exist."

What are the misconceptions about Armenians here?

[That] they’re clannish and don’t integrate into the larger society.

In Glendale there’s always a dispute which goes like this: Why do you
have to speak Armenian to each other? This is America – speak English.

You hang around each other; it’s like a little Armenian clique.

By all means we should be fluent in English, we should participate
in the Lions Club, we should go to football games and partake in
everything American. But if somebody chooses to speak only Armenian,
go to an Armenian grocery store and go to Armenian barber, that’s
his business; no one should force him. If [anyone] doesn’t want to
speak English, and he has a life he can live just knowing Spanish or
Armenian or Hebrew, that’s his business.

There are a lot of Armenians who are integrated into society – many
of them change their names; you can’t even go by the "ian" at the end.

Gov. George Deukmejian didn’t change his name to "George Duke."

The governor is a very unusual person. Not only is he fully integrated
into American society and mainstream politics, but he kept his long
Armenian name. A lot of people advised him [not to].

What is Armenian Americans’ sense of President Obama now?

It’s a very sad situation. We passionately supported his candidacy
because he’s not the typical politician – he comes from a minority
background, he knows what it is to be suffering, so we identified with
him right away. When he was a senator, he spoke fervently in defense
of the Armenian cause, in defense of recognition of genocide. He even
gave a speech when he was a candidate [and] said: "America deserves
a president who will tell the truth about the Armenian genocide. I
intend to be that president." So we all believed in him. And the minute
he becomes president, he does not say genocide, he finds a euphemism
the way Bush and Condoleezza Rice did. He even went so far as to use
an Armenian word to describe [it], which was really ridiculous. He’s
done everything that he said he would not do.

[email protected]

This interview is edited and excerpted from a longer taped transcript.

An archive of Morrison’s interviews is online at latimes.com/pattasks.

TURKEY, ARMENIA TIES STALLED

Southeast European Times
April 22 2010

ANKARA, Turkey — Foreign Ministry spokesperson Burak Ozugergin said on
Thursday (April 22nd) that Ankara is analysing a statement by Armenia’s
parliamentary majority, suggesting that the issue of normalising ties
with Turkey should be removed from the institution’s agenda until
Turkey agrees to negotiate without preconditions and in a reasonable
timeframe. In a joint statement, ruling coalition members — the
Republican Party of Armenia, Orinats Yerkir and Prosperous Armenia —
said that it considers Turkey’s position on the issue "unacceptable".

"We are evaluating the content of this [Armenian] statement and what
it means" legally and politically, Turkey’s Ozugergin said. The two
protocols on establishing diplomatic ties and re-opening the border
between the two countries were signed in October. However, their
ratification by the two parliaments has dragged over the so-called
Armenian "genocide" issue and Turkey’s support for Azerbaijan in its
dispute with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. (Hurriyet,
AFP, ARKA – 22/04/10)

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Director
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Watch our latest videos on YouTube here:

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I RECEIVES THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE ARMENIAN RELIEF
ASSOCIATION

On Sunday 18 April 2010, His Holiness Aram I received the chairpersons of
the Armenian Relief Association, Mrs Vicky Marashlian and of the Armenian
Relief Cross in Lebanon, Mrs Talin Klbashian. The ladies briefed His
Holiness and discussed the forthcoming plans of the hundred-year old
organization in humanitarian, social, educational and cultural fields of
involvement.

His Holiness praised the past and present achievements and the forthcoming
plans of the Relief Association and expressed his point of view on their
expediency.

On the Centenary of the Association, His Holiness had issued a pontifical
decree in appreciation of the Association’s efforts rendered to our nation.
He has also declared 2010 the Year of the Armenian Woman and emphasized the
active role Armenian women have and had played in our lives.

Following the Divine Liturgy, a requiem service was held in memory of all
past members of the association.

##
View the photo here:
tos/Photos473.htm#7
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

GENOCIDE ISSUE DISCUSSED AT ST. ANDREWS UNIVERSITY

A1Plus.am
20/04/10

On April 16-17, an international conference devoted to "The Caucasus:
Imagining Freedom, Negotiating Dominion" was held at St. Andrews
University with the participation of the ambassadors of Georgia and
Azerbaijan, as well as experts and scholars from different countries.

The issues discussed were related to current conflicts in the region,
relations between the Caucasus and the West, as well as political,
cultural, linguistic and historical issues.

In his speech, Armenia’s Ambassador to the UK Vahe Gabrelyan talked
about Armenian identity, the main challenges facing Armenia’s foreign
policy, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Turkish-Armenian relations
and recognition of the 1915 Armenian Genocide.

Ambassador Gabrielyan particularly mentioned that the normalization
of Turkish-Armenian relations cannot be viewed in the context of
third countries and that the Armenian authorities and the can never
forget or neglect the 1915 Armenian Genocide. He touched upon the
history of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in detail and presented the
Nagorno-Karabakh people’s just struggle for their rights.

Then, Gabrielyan answered questions regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict and Armenia’s policies in the region.

The St. Andrews University is one of the famous universities of
Scotland and the UK. The conference on this topic was the second one
organized by the university’s center for Russian, Soviet, Central
and Eastern European studies.

EROGLU VICTORY WORRIES CYPRUS GOVERNMENT
Delphine Strauss

FT
April 19 2010 23:15

Turkish Cypriots’ election of a nationalist leader who has pledged to
resist compromise with the Greek Cypriot south could cause "serious
problems" in talks to reunify the divided island, the Cypriot
government said on Monday.

Dervis Eroglu, prime minister since 2009, won 50.4 per cent of the
vote in Sunday’s elections to replace the incumbent, Mehmet Ali Talat,
as president in northern Cyprus, which has been split from the south
since the Turkish intervention in 1974 and is recognised as a state
only by Ankara.

"Taking into account the declared positions of Mr Eroglu against a
federation, and for the establishment of two independent states in
Cyprus, this could cause very serious problems to the negotiations,"
a government spokesman told reporters.

The outcome of the talks is crucial to Turkey’s European Union
membership bid, since Greek Cypriots, who rejected a UN-brokered
peace plan in 2004, represent Cyprus in the EU and will veto Turkish
accession while the island remains divided.

Turkey also needs a solution on Cyprus to support its claims to be a
leading actor in regional diplomacy. Ankara’s policy of "zero problems
with neighbours", and an aspiration to mediate in regional conflicts,
have been undermined by its inability to resolve problems closest to
home, with Cyprus and Armenia.

Ankara, which had barely hidden its preference for Mr Talat,
congratulated Mr Eroglu on his victory and underlined its continued
support for a settlement. A statement by the foreign ministry also
emphasised its view that Mr Talat had brought talks "to a point where
a solution is within reach".

But Mr Eroglu’s victory reflects voters’ frustration at Mr Talat’s
failure to conclude a settlement with his Greek Cypriot counterpart
Demetris Christofias. The two men, friends and fellow socialists,
have met more than 70 times in the last two years but are still far
from agreeing a blueprint for reunification to put to referenda.

Mr Eroglu, who will rely on Ankara for subsidies of around $500m
a year, said on Monday negotiations could resume in May. He earlier
told supporters celebrating his win: "No-one should expect me to flee
the negotiating table".

But his right-wing UBP party has historically favoured two separate
states – unacceptable to Greek Cypriots – not the UN formula of a
federation with two autonomous zones and a central administration.

Mr Eroglu also promised voters he would resist any deal that would
allow Greek Cypriots to return to homes in the north, or require
the expulsion of Turkish settlers. The 2004 Annan Plan, accepted by
Turkish Cypriots, and rejected in the south, envisaged the return of
some territory to Greek Cypriots and restitution for property.

Ayla Gurel, researcher at the Cyprus office of the International
Peace Research Institute, said voters had lost faith in Mr Talat’s
promises to end northern Cyprus’ isolation, and no longer believed
the United Nations or European Union offered any protection. "There
is a sentiment … that they have been cheated by the international
community since 2004," she said.

One of the biggest causes of anger was the EU’s failure to ease
northern Cyprus’ economic isolation by granting it direct access to
European markets. The direct trade regulation was blocked by Greek
Cypriots and, although recently revived in Brussels, still faces many
hurdles before adoption. In response, Turkey has refused to open its
ports to traffic from the south – a stand-off that led Greek Cypriots
to veto many areas of Turkey’s EU accession talks.

MILITARY CONFRONTATION IN KARABAKH WOULD BRING NEGATIVE RESULTS

The Messenger
April 19 2010
Georgia

Armenian analysts think it unlikely that there will be military
developments in Karabakh. Gagik Arutunian, Chairman of the Noravank
research centre, maintains that the guarantors of peace in the conflict
are the Armenian armed forces. He thinks that the Azerbaijani side
has often discussed the possibility of military developments but this
would not be in the interest of America, Russia or other European
countries. Many projects in energy sphere could be undermined in the
case of military developments.

UN OFFICE IN ARMENIA AND THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF ARMENIA DONATE BOOKS FOR COMMUNITY LIBRARIES

ARMRADIO.AM
19.04.2010 10:11

UN Office in Armenia donated more than 6 000 UN publications to the
National Library of Armenia with the aim to disseminate the books
within the community libraries of Armenia.

This initiative was supported by the UN Department of Public
Information (UN DPI) together with the National Library of Armenia
within the framework of " Library Week in Armenia" (from 12 to 19
April) and World Book and Copyright Day (April 23).

Dafina Gercheva, UN Resident Coordinator said: "Community libraries
are often the only cultural hubs in some Armenian cities and they
are lacking funding and new stocks. The difficult situation of these
community libraries is in the focus of UN DPI and we are happy to
support efforts of the National Library of Armenia and the Library
Association. Now journalists, students, municipal authorities and
researches will have a direct access to the UN publications in
Armenian, English and Russian languages".

Davit Sarksyan, Director of the National Library of Armenia underlined:
"Thanks to the UN DPI for joining us and organizing this unique
book donation. The UN DPI’s donations to the community libraries are
extremely valuable, since these libraries are always in a need for
new materials and the people in communities often don’t have access
to the latest news and publications."

EXPERT: COOPERATION SMALL FARMS TO MAKE SALES OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS EASIER

/ARKA/
April 16, 2010
YEREVAN

Cooperation small farms will make sales of agricultural products
easier, Ashot Voskanyan, director of the centre for supporting
agriculture and former agriculture minister, said Friday at a
conference in Armenian State Agrarian University.

"In all developed countries, agrarian policy is successful only when
farms cooperate. Armenia too can’t avoid this stage of development."

He said that farmers’ views on the matter are various. Many of them
fear they could lose their legal ownership of land.

There is also concern over possible difficulties connected with
taxation after farms get status of legal entity.

Voskanyan also said that the practice of joint work is underdeveloped
in Armenian villages. Armenian Public Council has come up with an
initiative to discuss the idea of cooperation implying mergers in
agriculture sector.

Specialists think that small farms are unprofitable and their cost
price is higher. Armenian farms are mostly small (about 1 hectares),
while those in western countries 100-hectare farms are viewed
profitable.

IRANIANS FLOCK TO AZERBAIJAN AT ‘SLIGHTEST HINT OF WAR’

news.az
April 14 2010
Azerbaijan

Leyla Aliyeva News.Az interviews Azerbaijani political scientist
Leyla Aliyeva.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned Israel not to launch
hostilities against Iran, as this may lead to the use of nuclear
weapons and global disaster. May Israel start a war against Iran?

The world community is mobilizing both in the region and the West
over sanctions on Iran. US President Barack Obama is working on it,
while Russia has voiced a positive attitude towards sanctions. Indeed,
the more countries join the sanctions, the lower the possibility of
war against Iran. Taking into account the fact that Obama’s policy
in this regard is different from his predecessor’s and that Obama
prefers to use diplomatic channels as much as possible to avert
threats, and considering Russia’s positive stance on these sanctions,
Israel may be concerned. Iran is a direct threat to Israel because
of its uncontrolled nuclear program. Israel is also concerned at the
role Iran plays in the Middle Eastern conflict. Therefore, Israel is
using threats of attack as a means to put pressure on Iran. However,
Israel is doing this in order to sort out its problems. I am not sure,
therefore, that Israel will take any action against Iran alone,
especially at a time when international sanctions on the Iranian
nuclear program are mobilized.

In his interview with ABC TV in the USA, President Medvedev expressed
concern at the humanitarian implications of a war in Iran. How would
you comment on Moscow’s position in this conflict?

The statement of the Russian president is quite natural because Moscow
is now trying to show itself as a civilized player in the region. On
the one hand, it has agreed with the United States on reducing nuclear
weapons and, on the other, it has expressed a positive attitude
towards international sanctions against Iran. This means that,
in this case, Russia supports US policy which gives preference to
multilateral actions. When Israel is threatened with war, Medvedev’s
statement is a signal to Israel, on the one hand, and, on the other,
it shows Russia’s attitude in general to any unilateral action by
countries outside the region against the countries that Moscow views
as its own backyard. In fact, Russia could have merely said that
this region is in its area its interest and Israel has no right to
go there. But in this statement Medvedev has cast the problem as a
humanitarian disaster, for which there are certainly good grounds –
it is reasonable and logical since not only Russia but also our local
experts have said that any war in the neighbourhood may result in a
flow of refugees to neighbouring countries.

How realistic do you consider the threat of a mass influx of ethnic
Azerbaijanis from Iran to Azerbaijan if Israel starts war against Iran?

We have already seen that the number of Iranians in Baku grows whenever
there are tensions in relations between the West and Israel and
Iran. This trend already exists. Even when there is no war, Iranians
move to Azerbaijan at the slightest hint of war. They say that they
even buy flats in Baku. Therefore, I think Medvedev’s statement is
not groundless.

There are 30 million ethnic Azerbaijanis in Iran, so is not difficult
to guess where they would primarily move to. What are the humanitarian
implications of a mass influx of Iranian Azerbaijanis?

Any war is a great burden on neighbouring countries. Indeed, there are
30 million people there, while the population of Azerbaijan reached
9 million only recently. Don’t think that Azerbaijan is indifferent
to this process. It is also putting effort into averting possible war.

Azerbaijan played a mediatory role to soften the positions of the
supporters of extreme sanctions against Iran and Tehran. As Azerbaijan
will feel all the burden of the neighbouring countries if there is
a war against Iran, it has an interest in mitigating the positions
of the conflict parties. It’s another matter that Azerbaijan cannot
influence Iran to stop its nuclear program, but Azerbaijan can and
does voice its concerns in public.

The commander of the Iranian infantry, Ahmad-Reza Pourdastan, said
Iran would resist countries that attacked it and would declare states
supporting this attack to be their enemies. Does Azerbaijan have a
chance of not being declared Iran’s enemy considering our partnership
relations with the United States and Israel?

I think our chances are quite good since Azerbaijan has so far
managed to preserve the diplomatic balance. At the same time, I think
Azerbaijan will certainly join some international sanctions on Iran
that are not extreme. Azerbaijan will probably be selective as to
these sanctions because there are aspects that it cannot ignore, for
example, the vitally important trade with Iran. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan
cannot betray its strategic partnership with leading states that
propose sanctions.

Don’t you think that Azerbaijan’s support for the sanctions, though
selective, will automatically make it Iran’s enemy?

Certainly, it will, but Azerbaijan can always persuade Iran that it
has obligations towards its strategic partners. It is always possible
to find a way out of the situation and I think Azerbaijan will
try to do so. Our government has repeatedly declared balance in its
foreign policy as a priority. On its part, Iran is not so sensitive to
Azerbaijan’s threat. We all know that both during the Karabakh war and
up to now Iran has continued trade with Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

Therefore, Azerbaijan also has grounds to join sanctions against Iran.

However, it is always possible to find a compromise that would not
undermine relations with Iran and would not bring relations with Iran
to extremes, on the one hand, and would not undermine its strategic
alliance with Western partners on the other.