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Israeli analyst Yuriy Bocharov: â€œThe war with Iran has not started yet because the interested parties hadnâ€™t coordinated all issuesâ€ - INTERVIEW

Israeli analyst Yuriy Bocharov: â€œThe war with Iran has not started yet because the interested parties hadnâ€™t coordinated all issuesâ€ - <font color=red>INTERVIEW</font>

03 May 2012 10:04 (UTC +04:00)

Tel Aviv. Farid Akbarov â€“ APA. Interview with Israeli political analyst Yuriy Bocharov

- How do you value the current phase of Israel-Azerbaijan relations?

- I think we are on the summit of cooperation. Of course, I would like to see better and wider relations. We would like the relations to pass from the level of leadership into wider level â€“ the level of ordinary people and to cover business, tourism, culture and education. I think our foreign minister Avigdor Liebermanâ€™s last visit to Baku aimed to widen relations in many spheres. The signed agreements and memorandums could be examples.

- Could Azerbaijan be considered as the main partner of Israel in the South Caucasus?

- There is no serious partner of Israel in the region, but Azerbaijan, because Azerbaijan is the strongest and leading republic in the South Caucasus. We would like to be friend of everyone, including Armenia and Georgia, but our relations with those countries can not be compared with our relations with Azerbaijan.

However I am concerned about some ideas expressed in the Azerbaijani mass media. They say while Iran-Armenia relations are extending, Azerbaijan-Israel relations become wider. That is to say they keep relations with us only to irritate Iran. If tomorrow Iran cuts relations with Armenia, will we do same thing?

- What is Israelâ€™s position on Nagorno Karabakh conflict? Does Israel recognize Armenia as an aggressor country?

- I can only recall ideas of some politicians. All countries recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, but it is unlikely that someone recognizes the independence of Nagorno Karabakh. Avigdor Lieberman said during his visit to Baku: â€œWe support the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and peaceful solution to the conflict. We are hopeful that there will be fair solutionâ€. I have no other words to add it.

I have a return question. How will the recognition of the Azerbaijanâ€™s territorial integrity by the world union assist Azerbaijan to liberate its lands. I donâ€™t think that the level of relations of all countries, which have any position on Karabakh issue, will make the UN Security Council to recognize Armenia as an aggressor country. If it doesnâ€™t succeed, why one should need to spend money and forces to show Armenia to the world as an aggressor?

I think that the world knows who is who, but the world leaders prefer economical and political dividends in these cases not conscious and common sense. When several â€œinterested sidesâ€ lose interest in empire ambitious of Armenia then the formula of fair settlement of the Nagorno Karabkah will be found.

- US-based â€œForeign Policyâ€ newspaper published that Azerbaijan allowed Israel to use its military airdromes. How it can be true?

-I will answer the question with question. Is it good for anyone? Who can be interested in releasing â€œsecret informationâ€ on joint preparations of Azerbaijan and Israel against Iran? Azerbaijan and Israel have enough economical and political enemies. It is not secret that welfare and wealth of Azerbaijan keep some forces on the run. Many people want to break economical and political stability in the republic for the sake of own political and economical interests.

All of us are at war, at information war. This war has no rule and honesty. The main weapon in this war is provocation and abasement. First they slander you and then force you justify yourself. I liked the statements by some Azerbaijani officials that can be expressed by a phrase: â€œDonâ€™t interfere in our affairs, mind you own businessâ€.

We will know how real it is after that these events finish. Of course, if they happen. May be it will never happen.

- Does Israel need Azerbaijanâ€™s help when the war starts with Iran? Azerbaijan said that it has friendly relations with Iran.

- In my opinion, all â€œinterestedâ€ parties will coordinate everything before the war starts. May be the war has not started yet because the parties hadnâ€™t reached an agreement. In my opinion, Israel is interested to use Azerbaijanâ€™s energy potential during a peace period, because it will be difficult to use this potential during the war because of possible sanctions by political and economic groups of the Middle East.

I think that you must be interested in the question â€œWill Israel side Azerbaijan if Azerbaijan starts war with Armenia?â€ In my opinion it is easier to say â€œyesâ€ to that question than â€œnoâ€.

- The start of war in the region will make Israel face-to-face with Turkey. The relations between the two countries are not so good in recent years.

- If you mean the war with Iran, I think that this issue is the same with Azerbaijan. Israel can attack Iran, but the war will be continued within a coalition led only by the US. Most probably we will be in coalition with Turkey.

If we talk about the developments in Syria, which are beyond the control of the world community and countryâ€™s leadership, strange as it may seem, we have the same interests with Turkey in the possible war. If Bashar al-Assadâ€™s government provokes Israel, I donâ€™t think that the Turkish government will help him.

- Is the Israeli Knesset going to recognize the Khojaly genocide? Did the MPs make such proposal?

- I am not sure that our Knesset is ready to recognize any genocide. In my opinion the Knesset will be engaged most of all in early elections next 4-5 months. After the elections it will be possible to discuss this issue as soon as the coalition government establishes. In principle, there are people in the Knesset who can undertake the settlement of this issue. The question is in the initiative. Except the appeals made under the auspices of Azerbaijan-Israel International Association, nobody had ever addressed them. Azerbaijani diaspora representatives have a chance to press the issue, but we mustnâ€™t be the initiators.