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Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Oct 8 2012
Upset with Iran, Baku moves closer to Israel
BAKU - Hürriyet Daily News
Azerbaijan is pursuing ties with Israel amid anger at Iran's close
relationship with Armenia that it sees as `the cause for Armenian
intransigence on Karabakh'
Azar Azimov, deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, (L) is seen with
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu in this file photo. Azimov
blames Tehran of supplying Armenia with energy, with natural gas and
oil, saying `Iran gives life to Armenia.' AA photo
Serkan DemirtaĊ[email protected]
Azerbaijan criticized neighboring Iran for `giving life' to Armenia
by supplying natural gas and oil to its rival while defending its own
growing relationship with Israel for security and technological needs,
in an already-tense Caucasus.
`Iran has more than 30 agreements with Armenia, where it has an
embassy as well. It supplies [Armenia] with energy, with natural gas
and oil. It builds new roads for transportation. If Armenia is so
tough in negotiations [over Nagorno-Karabakh] it's because the support
it receives from Iran as well as from Russia. Iran gives life to
Armenia,' Azar Azimov, deputy foreign minister of Azerbaijan told the
Hürriyet Daily News in an interview in Baku on Oct. 5.
Ties between Iran and its northern neighbor Azerbaijan have been
strained recently after Tehran accused Baku of overlooking the
activities of Israel within its territory, from where Israeli
intelligence conducted the assassination of some of its nuclear
experts last year. It also described Israeli-Azeri rapprochement as
against Iran. `Our relationship with Israel is a bilateral one, Iran
should not feel disturbed by it,' Azimov said, adding that his country
has not allowed and will not allow any third party to use its soil to
attack Iran.
Israeli ties not strategic
Defying criticisms coming from Iran over its growing relationship with
Israel, Azimov said, `Why wouldn't we establish ties with Israel? We
have similar security interests with Israel. Did not Turkey have such
cooperation with Israel in the past?' Azerbaijan signed a $1.6 billion
deal with Israel in a bid to provide hi-tech defense equipment. Iran
sought an explanation from Azerbaijan after the deal.
Re-emphasizing growing Iranian ties with Armenia, Azimov said `Iran
should think about this as well. It should not cooperate with Armenia
until the occupation ends, like Turkey.' Though showing the importance
his country puts on its ties with Israel, the Azerbaijani diplomat
refused to call it a `strategic relationship.' `Strategic cooperation
shows a very unique relationship. Parties enjoying strategic ties take
every step through consultations. Like Turkey and Azerbaijan. We are
improving our relations with Israel, making deals on defense and
technology, but this does not mean that we are strategic partners,' he
said.
Azimov said Azerbaijan was a Muslim country and its policy was based
on the establishment of a sovereign state of Palestine. `We are at the
same time against Israel's settlement policies,' he said, adding that
his country's policy was based on principles Azeri public opinion
supported. On Azerbaijan's most important issue, the Nagorno-Karabakh
problem, the Azeri diplomat painted a rather pessimistic picture given
the fact that the cease-fire between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops
has almost broken 20 years after the occupation of Azeri lands.
`If this cease-fire is broken, the lives of so many people will be at
risk, especially Azerbaijani civilians living in the region, as well
as troops. Azerbaijan will be more affected by this as no civilians
live in the Armenian part of the occupied Azeri lands,' he said.
Armenia is trying to oblige Azerbaijani to give a stronger response
and totally suspend negotiations in a move to gain more time to freeze
the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, according to the diplomat.
Unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan is making fresh proposals to break the
stalemate in talks, he said. The first is to let all Minsk Group
countries participate in the negotiation process, as the talks under
the auspices of three co-chair countries; France, the United States
and Russia; are not going anywhere.
Secondly, Azerbaijan is demanding the establishment of a concrete road
map outlining the steps that will be taken in a timeline.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/upset-with-iran-baku-moves-closer-to-israel.aspx?pageID=238&nID=31876&NewsCatID=359
Oct 8 2012
Upset with Iran, Baku moves closer to Israel
BAKU - Hürriyet Daily News
Azerbaijan is pursuing ties with Israel amid anger at Iran's close
relationship with Armenia that it sees as `the cause for Armenian
intransigence on Karabakh'
Azar Azimov, deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, (L) is seen with
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu in this file photo. Azimov
blames Tehran of supplying Armenia with energy, with natural gas and
oil, saying `Iran gives life to Armenia.' AA photo
Serkan DemirtaĊ[email protected]
Azerbaijan criticized neighboring Iran for `giving life' to Armenia
by supplying natural gas and oil to its rival while defending its own
growing relationship with Israel for security and technological needs,
in an already-tense Caucasus.
`Iran has more than 30 agreements with Armenia, where it has an
embassy as well. It supplies [Armenia] with energy, with natural gas
and oil. It builds new roads for transportation. If Armenia is so
tough in negotiations [over Nagorno-Karabakh] it's because the support
it receives from Iran as well as from Russia. Iran gives life to
Armenia,' Azar Azimov, deputy foreign minister of Azerbaijan told the
Hürriyet Daily News in an interview in Baku on Oct. 5.
Ties between Iran and its northern neighbor Azerbaijan have been
strained recently after Tehran accused Baku of overlooking the
activities of Israel within its territory, from where Israeli
intelligence conducted the assassination of some of its nuclear
experts last year. It also described Israeli-Azeri rapprochement as
against Iran. `Our relationship with Israel is a bilateral one, Iran
should not feel disturbed by it,' Azimov said, adding that his country
has not allowed and will not allow any third party to use its soil to
attack Iran.
Israeli ties not strategic
Defying criticisms coming from Iran over its growing relationship with
Israel, Azimov said, `Why wouldn't we establish ties with Israel? We
have similar security interests with Israel. Did not Turkey have such
cooperation with Israel in the past?' Azerbaijan signed a $1.6 billion
deal with Israel in a bid to provide hi-tech defense equipment. Iran
sought an explanation from Azerbaijan after the deal.
Re-emphasizing growing Iranian ties with Armenia, Azimov said `Iran
should think about this as well. It should not cooperate with Armenia
until the occupation ends, like Turkey.' Though showing the importance
his country puts on its ties with Israel, the Azerbaijani diplomat
refused to call it a `strategic relationship.' `Strategic cooperation
shows a very unique relationship. Parties enjoying strategic ties take
every step through consultations. Like Turkey and Azerbaijan. We are
improving our relations with Israel, making deals on defense and
technology, but this does not mean that we are strategic partners,' he
said.
Azimov said Azerbaijan was a Muslim country and its policy was based
on the establishment of a sovereign state of Palestine. `We are at the
same time against Israel's settlement policies,' he said, adding that
his country's policy was based on principles Azeri public opinion
supported. On Azerbaijan's most important issue, the Nagorno-Karabakh
problem, the Azeri diplomat painted a rather pessimistic picture given
the fact that the cease-fire between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops
has almost broken 20 years after the occupation of Azeri lands.
`If this cease-fire is broken, the lives of so many people will be at
risk, especially Azerbaijani civilians living in the region, as well
as troops. Azerbaijan will be more affected by this as no civilians
live in the Armenian part of the occupied Azeri lands,' he said.
Armenia is trying to oblige Azerbaijani to give a stronger response
and totally suspend negotiations in a move to gain more time to freeze
the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, according to the diplomat.
Unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan is making fresh proposals to break the
stalemate in talks, he said. The first is to let all Minsk Group
countries participate in the negotiation process, as the talks under
the auspices of three co-chair countries; France, the United States
and Russia; are not going anywhere.
Secondly, Azerbaijan is demanding the establishment of a concrete road
map outlining the steps that will be taken in a timeline.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/upset-with-iran-baku-moves-closer-to-israel.aspx?pageID=238&nID=31876&NewsCatID=359