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Palestinian ambassador: Mahmoud Abbas will visit Azerbaijan this year â€“ INTERVIEW

Palestinian ambassador: Mahmoud Abbas will visit Azerbaijan this year â€“ <font color=red> INTERVIEW </font>

22 January 2010 15:36 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Lachin Sultanova, Ibad Bagirov â€“ APA. APAâ€™s interview with ambassador of Palestinian Autonomy to Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan Asad Al Asad

-When will Palestinian embassy begin functioning in Azerbaijan?

-As you know my office is located in Tashkent. The aim of my visit to Azerbaijan is to get acquainted with the building allocated for us, the house, where I will live, open our embassy here. We consider that the embassy will officially start functioning within two months. I am glad to be in Azerbaijan. I will return to Uzbekistan and after the handover process leave for Azerbaijan. I feel that I have friends, acquaintances here. Azerbaijanâ€™s rapid development makes me happy. I am sure that Azerbaijan will become a modern, developed sate in a few years, Azerbaijanis will be proud of their country.

-How many embassies does Palestine have?

-Palestine has embassies in 93 countries.

-What changes happened in the relations of the two countries after the visit of Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Al-Maliki to Azerbaijan?

-The relations began to strengthen after this visit. The ministerâ€™s visit once more demonstrated that Palestine and Azerbaijan have deep relations, these relations will develop. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev invited Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to Azerbaijan. Palestinian leader accepted this invitation with great pleasure. He is expected to visit Azerbaijan soon this year.

-What is the level of political, economic, commercial and humanitarian relations between the two countries? What is being done to expand and deepen these relations?

-Azerbaijan and Palestine have historical relations â€“ we have a common history. Hundreds of Palestinians graduated from Azerbaijani universities. Tends of Palestinians are studying in Azerbaijan. 18 Palestinians entered Azerbaijan Medical University last year. It shows that Palestinian authorities and people are satisfied with the level of education in Azerbaijan.

-Do the students study at the expenses of Azerbaijan, or their own expenses?

-Some of the students get scholarship, some study at their own expenses. Palestinians are also studying in the Diplomatic Academy and other universities. We plan to increase the number of these students.

- Are there economic relations between the countries?

- Yes, there is cooperation between the private sectors. Business people attend the chambers of trade and exhibitions. More active cooperation is in the field of agriculture, but these relations are not in the government level. We hope that the economic relations will be developed and intergovernmental agreements and contracts will be signed after the opening of Palestinian embassy in Baku.

- Is Palestine satisfied with the position of Azerbaijan regarding the Middle East problem? Can Azerbaijan mediate solution to this conflict?

- The Palestinian state is satisfied with the position of Azerbaijan, which keeps solidarity with the Palestinian people and is against the isolation of Gaza Strip. Azerbaijan always votes in favor of Palestine in the UN Security Council. I donâ€™t consider Azerbaijanâ€™s mediation real.

- Are you satisfied with the approach of the Organization of the Islamic Countries?

- OIC is representing 57 Islamic countries and its position describes positions of all of these countries. Undoubtedly OIC is against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian lands. We are the OIC member and agree with its position.

- Do you know Nagorno Karabakh conflict? What is the Palestinian attitude toward this issue?

- Nagorno Karabakh problem is like the Palestinian. When Jewish people faced with Holocaust in Europe, they took refuge in the Palestinian lands, but then they expelled Palestinians from their homeland. The same problem was experienced in Nagorno Karabakh. Azerbaijani people gave asylum to the Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh. Armenians were settled in Azerbaijani lands and they committed grave crimes against the Azerbaijanis expelling them from Nagorno Karabakh and occupying the Azerbaijani lands. We hope that justice will win in both Palestine and Nagorno Karabakh.

- Is the appointment of Arab Leagueâ€™s ambassador to Turkey related to the diplomatic scandal between Israel and Turkey last week?

- I donâ€™t think that they are related to each other. Turkey is the Islamic country and has principal position on the Palestinian problem. We respect the Turkish people and government. We are same Umma with Azerbaijani and Turkish people. Turkish and Palestinian people have same roots. Turkey is an influential country in the world. Therefore it is necessary to establish relations with the Arab League, UN and European Union.