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Yosef Shagal: â€œWe are not Iran to ask Azerbaijan why it welcomes someoneâ€

10 February 2010 09:22 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Lachin Sultanova â€“ APA. â€œIsraeli-Azerbaijani relations are dynamically developingâ€, president of the Azerbaijan-Israel International Association, former Knesset member Yosef Shagal told APA exclusively during his visit to Azerbaijan in the team of Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. He said there was very useful and important meeting with the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. â€œSuch meetings take place not between the diplomats, but between the friends. It was very good and interesting meeting. I consider Israel is an objective partner to Azerbaijan. If you look around and analyze every country, you can see that Israel may be only country, which has no claims against Azerbaijan and has sincere intentions to have equal relations with it. We donâ€™t expect anything from Azerbaijan. Jewish people are living here and there is very good attitude to them. It is very important question for Israelâ€.

Shagal emphasized successful development of economic relations between Azerbaijan and Israel and said trade turnover between the countries reached four billion dollars. â€œWe are carrying out joint projects. Everything is developing successfully. I hope Azerbaijan will open embassy in Israelâ€.

Shagal mentioned Azerbaijanâ€™s relations with Arab world and expected visit of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to Azerbaijan and said Israel sees everything positively. â€œWe are not Iran to ask Azerbaijan why it welcomes someoneâ€.