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LIEBERMAN VISITS AZERBAIJAN ON 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
Today's Zaman
April 23 2012
Turkey
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman is on an official visit
to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to mark the 20th anniversary of
diplomatic relations between Israel and Azerbaijan, which is Turkey's
strategic ally in the region and also a neighbor to Iran as well.
According to the Israeli embassy in Azerbaijan, Lieberman's agenda
on this visit will include discussion about economic and cultural
relations between the two states. Lieberman met with his Azerbaijani
counterpart Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov on Monday, according to
Azerbaijani media reports. During the meeting both sides discussed
bilateral relations. Both sides pointed out that relations are
improving between the two states because of a strong partnership.
During the meeting with his counterpart, Lieberman praised
Israeli-Azerbaijani relations and underlined the importance of further
growth of bilateral relations based on legal agreements.
Lieberman, who arrived Sunday evening in Azerbaijan, which is Turkey's
strategic ally in the region and also a neighbor to Iran as well,
is scheduled to meet with the country's President İlham Aliyev and
other senior officials, according to Israeli reports.
Lieberman's visit comes one month after the American magazine Foreign
Policy reported that Azerbaijan has given Israel access to Azerbaijani
airbases, which is considered an important step towards a possible
attack on Iran. The Azerbaijani government rejected the allegations,
calling them untrue. In an interview with AFP, Azerbaijani Ministry of
Defense spokesman Teymur Abdullayev said the claims seek to "damage
relations between Azerbaijan and Iran," adding that "there will be
no actions against Iran ... from the territory of Azerbaijan."
Lieberman's schedule also reportedly includes the opening of the
Israeli Cultural Center in the Baku-located Azerbaijani University
of Languages. The Israeli Foreign Minister's agenda also includes
a meeting with Jewish community members living in Azerbaijan. The
majority of people living in the "Red Town" area located in the
northern Azerbaijani city of Guba, are Jewish.
Baku is developing its relations with Israel on a military level with
the signing of a deal in February with the state-run Israel Aerospace
Industries which supplies $1.6 billion in arms, including anti-aircraft
and missile defense systems to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is at war with
its neighbor Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly Armenian
enclave in Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent territories that were
occupied by Armenia in 1992-1994, when Armenia and Azerbaijan were
engaged in a full-fledged armed conflict. Turkey came to Azerbaijan's
defense by closing its border with Armenia in a symbolic show of
support.
From: Baghdasarian
Today's Zaman
April 23 2012
Turkey
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman is on an official visit
to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to mark the 20th anniversary of
diplomatic relations between Israel and Azerbaijan, which is Turkey's
strategic ally in the region and also a neighbor to Iran as well.
According to the Israeli embassy in Azerbaijan, Lieberman's agenda
on this visit will include discussion about economic and cultural
relations between the two states. Lieberman met with his Azerbaijani
counterpart Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov on Monday, according to
Azerbaijani media reports. During the meeting both sides discussed
bilateral relations. Both sides pointed out that relations are
improving between the two states because of a strong partnership.
During the meeting with his counterpart, Lieberman praised
Israeli-Azerbaijani relations and underlined the importance of further
growth of bilateral relations based on legal agreements.
Lieberman, who arrived Sunday evening in Azerbaijan, which is Turkey's
strategic ally in the region and also a neighbor to Iran as well,
is scheduled to meet with the country's President İlham Aliyev and
other senior officials, according to Israeli reports.
Lieberman's visit comes one month after the American magazine Foreign
Policy reported that Azerbaijan has given Israel access to Azerbaijani
airbases, which is considered an important step towards a possible
attack on Iran. The Azerbaijani government rejected the allegations,
calling them untrue. In an interview with AFP, Azerbaijani Ministry of
Defense spokesman Teymur Abdullayev said the claims seek to "damage
relations between Azerbaijan and Iran," adding that "there will be
no actions against Iran ... from the territory of Azerbaijan."
Lieberman's schedule also reportedly includes the opening of the
Israeli Cultural Center in the Baku-located Azerbaijani University
of Languages. The Israeli Foreign Minister's agenda also includes
a meeting with Jewish community members living in Azerbaijan. The
majority of people living in the "Red Town" area located in the
northern Azerbaijani city of Guba, are Jewish.
Baku is developing its relations with Israel on a military level with
the signing of a deal in February with the state-run Israel Aerospace
Industries which supplies $1.6 billion in arms, including anti-aircraft
and missile defense systems to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is at war with
its neighbor Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly Armenian
enclave in Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent territories that were
occupied by Armenia in 1992-1994, when Armenia and Azerbaijan were
engaged in a full-fledged armed conflict. Turkey came to Azerbaijan's
defense by closing its border with Armenia in a symbolic show of
support.
From: Baghdasarian