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Israeli Ambassador: Azerbaijan and Israel have strategic relations

27 June 2007 09:40 (UTC +04:00)

- How do you assess your two-year activity in Azerbaijan?
- I have been serving in Azerbaijan for two years and follow the countryâ€™s gradual development. New buildings are constructed everywhere, state offices and cultural establishments are repaired. I am glad that my activity in Azerbaijan coincides with the countryâ€™s development and flourishing period.
- What is your assessment of the current mutual relations between the two countries?
- Israel and Azerbaijan have close political and economic relations. The delegation of nine grand Israeli companies operating in the sphere of high technology arrived in Azerbaijan and we held a forum along with Azerbaijani Communication and Information Technologies Ministry and big communication companies. It is only an example. The main thing is that Israel buys Azerbaijanâ€™s oil through Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. Interstate relations are also strengthening and the ministries of the two countries pay mutual visits. Azerbaijani Economic Development Minister Heydar Babayev visited Israel in February, chief of State Committee for Azerbaijanis Living Abroad Nazim Ibrahimov in April and Transport Minister Ziya Mammadov visited Israel two weeks ago. Israeli Foreign Ministry official Joseph Gal has also visited Azerbaijan recently. Deputies Prime Minister â€“ Minister of Strategic Planning Avigdor Liberman and Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz will visit Azerbaijan in the second half of this year. Our positions coincide in most strategic issues. I think that the relations between Azerbaijan and Israel are of strategic character.
- And what can you say about the newly-founded Israel-Azerbaijan International Association?
- The association aims at uniting Israelis of Azeri descent. I regard this association as a natural and real friendship bridge. The bridge has been founded neither by Israel, nor by Azerbaijan, this is a human bridge. Jews in Azerbaijan and people moved from Azerbaijan to Israel form the basis of the relations between the two countries, and that is more important than any business. Israel cooperates with many countries, but these relations are not as vivid and humane as the ones with Azerbaijan. This is connected with Azerbaijanâ€™s tolerance with regard to Israelis and we should take pride in it. /APA/