Tweet
ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS AZERBAIJAN AMID SPECULATION OF AIRFIELD ACCESS DEAL
Lilit Gevorgyan
Global Insight
April 26, 2012
Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Liebermann during his visit to
Azerbaijan this week dismissed media suggestions about his government
gaining access to an airfield in Azerbaijan that reportedly could be
used for a possible Israeli attack on Iran. Following his talks with
the longstanding Azeri president Ilham Aliyev, Liebermann said that
there was no connection between these suggestions and reality. Earlier
in April,Foreign Policymagazine quoted an unnamed US official saying
that, "The Israelis have bought an airfield, and the airfield is
called Azerbaijan."
Liebermann did, however, hail relations with Azerbaijan, saying that
they could not have been better: "they are trusting and productive".
He also held talks with his Azeri counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov,
discussing the prospects of co-operation in international organisation
in the light of Azerbaijan's two-year temporary membership to the
UN Security Council. The two chief diplomats also talked about
Iran although no details were publicised by either side following
the meeting. Azerbaijan and Israel have maintained very close ties
since the South Caucasian mainly Shi'a Muslim former Soviet republic
declared its independence in 1991. These ties have continued despite
the crisis in Tel Aviv's ties with Turkey, Azerbaijan's ethnic kin.
The commercial relations are hinged on energy supply from Baku as
Israel receives one-third of its oil from Azerbaijan. The overall
trade turnover is around USD4 billion annually. A large part of this
co-operation is in the defence sector as Israel--despite initial
silence--admitted the conclusion of a USD1.6-billion arms supply deal
(seeAzerbaijan - Israel: 27 February 2012:). The defence co-operation
also involves setting up a joint production of unmanned aerial
vehicles (UAVs) in Azerbaijan. Iran has been very concerned over the
very close relations between the two countries, especially after the
arms supply deal was revealed which will include delivery of aerial
defence systems to Azerbaijan. Azeri Defence Minister Colonel-General
Safar Abiyev paid a visit to Iran on 12 March to assure that the new
weapons will not be used against Iran but rather against the Armenian
populated self-declared independent Nagorno-Karabakh entity, to bring
it back under Baku's control.
Significance:Azerbaijan has five operational air bases for possible
combat or search and rescue use by for the Israeli Air Force (IAF).
According to IHS data these are at Baku/Kala, Ganja, Kyurdamir,
Nasosnaya, and Sangchal while the sixth one at Dollyar is not currently
operational. Baku and Tel Aviv have been keen to emphasise lack of any
agreement to allow the use of Azerbaijani territory as a launch-pad
for potential attacks by Israel on Iran. However, the controversy is
likely to linger, not least because of Israel's particularly close
ties with Azerbaijan out of all three South Caucasian states as well
as repeated spat between Iran and Azerbaijan over the latter's claims
of Iranian religious fundamentalist group members' foiled attempts
to attack Israeli and US diplomatic targets in Baku.
Lilit Gevorgyan
Global Insight
April 26, 2012
Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Liebermann during his visit to
Azerbaijan this week dismissed media suggestions about his government
gaining access to an airfield in Azerbaijan that reportedly could be
used for a possible Israeli attack on Iran. Following his talks with
the longstanding Azeri president Ilham Aliyev, Liebermann said that
there was no connection between these suggestions and reality. Earlier
in April,Foreign Policymagazine quoted an unnamed US official saying
that, "The Israelis have bought an airfield, and the airfield is
called Azerbaijan."
Liebermann did, however, hail relations with Azerbaijan, saying that
they could not have been better: "they are trusting and productive".
He also held talks with his Azeri counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov,
discussing the prospects of co-operation in international organisation
in the light of Azerbaijan's two-year temporary membership to the
UN Security Council. The two chief diplomats also talked about
Iran although no details were publicised by either side following
the meeting. Azerbaijan and Israel have maintained very close ties
since the South Caucasian mainly Shi'a Muslim former Soviet republic
declared its independence in 1991. These ties have continued despite
the crisis in Tel Aviv's ties with Turkey, Azerbaijan's ethnic kin.
The commercial relations are hinged on energy supply from Baku as
Israel receives one-third of its oil from Azerbaijan. The overall
trade turnover is around USD4 billion annually. A large part of this
co-operation is in the defence sector as Israel--despite initial
silence--admitted the conclusion of a USD1.6-billion arms supply deal
(seeAzerbaijan - Israel: 27 February 2012:). The defence co-operation
also involves setting up a joint production of unmanned aerial
vehicles (UAVs) in Azerbaijan. Iran has been very concerned over the
very close relations between the two countries, especially after the
arms supply deal was revealed which will include delivery of aerial
defence systems to Azerbaijan. Azeri Defence Minister Colonel-General
Safar Abiyev paid a visit to Iran on 12 March to assure that the new
weapons will not be used against Iran but rather against the Armenian
populated self-declared independent Nagorno-Karabakh entity, to bring
it back under Baku's control.
Significance:Azerbaijan has five operational air bases for possible
combat or search and rescue use by for the Israeli Air Force (IAF).
According to IHS data these are at Baku/Kala, Ganja, Kyurdamir,
Nasosnaya, and Sangchal while the sixth one at Dollyar is not currently
operational. Baku and Tel Aviv have been keen to emphasise lack of any
agreement to allow the use of Azerbaijani territory as a launch-pad
for potential attacks by Israel on Iran. However, the controversy is
likely to linger, not least because of Israel's particularly close
ties with Azerbaijan out of all three South Caucasian states as well
as repeated spat between Iran and Azerbaijan over the latter's claims
of Iranian religious fundamentalist group members' foiled attempts
to attack Israeli and US diplomatic targets in Baku.