"Azerbaijan is proud of its sovereign foreign policy" Deputy FM Fariz Rzayev interviewed by Israeli newspaper

Azerbaijan is proud of its sovereign foreign policy, and opening an embassy in Israel is our sovereign decision, Azerbaijan's Deputy Foreign Minister Fariz Rzayev said in an interview with influential Israeli newspaper YNET on January 24.

"The decision to open the embassy was not made under any pressure, and opening the embassy is not an ultimate achievement or goal in the relationship. We see it as creating an important tool for the development of bilateral relations. It is a milestone, but certainly not the end of the road," he said, according to Trend.

Azerbaijan, which will be the first Shiite-majority Muslim country to open an embassy in Israel, has already appointed Mukhtar Mammadov, who served as deputy minister of science and education, as its first ambassador to the country, the newspaper noted.

"Azerbaijan is Iran's northern neighbour and this fact is important in terms of relations with Israel. Israel, which is highly respected in Azerbaijani society, attaches strategic importance to its ties with Azerbaijan. Tehran does not like relations between Israel and Azerbaijan. On November 14, Azerbaijan announced the exposure of an Iranian spy cell operating in the country, collecting information about the activities of various embassies in Azerbaijan, as well as tracking information about units and commanders in the army. At that time, it was not reported which countries they were from, but competent sources in Azerbaijan told YNET that one of the embassies that was the target of this cell was the Embassy of Israel. One of the activists, an Azerbaijani citizen, was recruited by the Revolutionary Guard while studying religion in Iran," the article says.

The article stressed that Azerbaijan is the largest supplier of energy to Israel and Israel is one of the largest suppliers of arms to Azerbaijan, and it contributed greatly to the victory in the second Karabakh war in 2020.

"Last weekend Foreign Minister Eli Cohen spoke with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and thanked him for Baku's decision to open an embassy in Israel and invited the Azerbaijani minister to visit the country. Bayramov is expected to arrive in Israel in April. Cohen told Bayramov that Azerbaijan is 'a close friend and an important regional anchor, and is highly regarded in Israel in light of tolerance between religions and the existence of an ancient Jewish community in the country.' The ministers also discussed the regional situation and, of course, the issue of Iran," the article said.

Rzayev said that the potential for the development of relations between the countries is huge.

"Israel and Azerbaijan are geographically distant but are linked by close ties, including historical ties. Azerbaijan is proud that we have never had anti-Semitism and there has always been great respect for the Jewish community, which has always been an integral part of society. Trade between the countries is growing, and relations are developing and expanding to other areas, such as education and research. We are learning from Israel's successful experience in innovation and seawater desalination. The potential is huge," he said.

Rzayev did not confirm that members of the cell arrested in November by Azerbaijani security services were planning to strike Israeli targets. All he said on the subject was the following: "One of our main tasks is to ensure the security of our citizens, the diplomatic community, and our guests throughout the country."

- How much is the State of Israel valued by the Azerbaijani people?

- The State of Israel and the Jewish people have never been seen as something foreign in Azerbaijan. We have a unique Jewish community, we had Jewish teachers, doctors, scientists, and more. Officers and soldiers of Jewish origin who were born in Azerbaijan fought for their homeland during the First and Second Karabakh wars. The most famous is Albert Agarunov, a tank commander in the First Karabakh war. There is a famous interview with him in which he is asked: 'You are a Jew, why are you fighting here? You can live in well-being in Israel.' - He replied in Azerbaijani: 'I am fighting for my land. I grew up here, and this is my land.' Agarunov died in this war. A monument has been erected to commemorate his memory, he is buried on the Alley of Martyrs, our national pantheon. Some people describe relations between Azerbaijan and Israel as normalized. It is not true, there has never been a conflict between us.

- What was Azerbaijan's role in the reconciliation between Israel and Türkiye?

- Azerbaijan has always called for good relations between all its friends and partners. Whenever we feel we can support such a process, we have tried to offer our humble contribution. We believe that good relations between Israel and Türkiye are a positive factor for our region. There is instability in the world, including in our region, and good, constructive relations between Israel and Türkiye is a good and important process.

- Can you confirm that Israel has provided the Iron Dome system to Azerbaijan?

- I have no information on that, contact the Ministry of Defence.

- Why is Azerbaijan still voting against Israel at the UN?

- Azerbaijan is a member of several international organisations such as the Organisation of Islamic States and the Non-Aligned Movement. This organisation has traditional positions that we cannot ignore or go against them. Also, it is important to remember that Azerbaijan established ties with Israel back in 1992, and the Israeli embassy in Azerbaijan has been operating for decades. Azerbaijan was not part of a boycott or embargo against Israel.

Journey to Karabakh

As noted in the article, the road to Karabakh takes a new path, known as the "Victory Road". There are signs along the roadside with portraits of Azerbaijani soldiers who died in the war, and the inscription "Martyrs".

"The occupation of Karabakh by Armenia in 1991 is considered a national trauma in Azerbaijan: 30,000 people died and 800,000 civilians were expelled from their homes. Azerbaijan was then a young state, and Armenians, backed by Soviet army units, occupied 20 per cent of its territory. For decades, the Azerbaijanis built a strong army backed by Türkiye and Israel, and in the Second Karabakh war in September 2020, which lasted 44 days, they gained control over their territories. Today Azerbaijan is rebuilding Karabakh and is investing billions of dollars in the construction of roads, three airports, railways, and houses. Karabakh is considered the Switzerland of the region, with its perfect mountains and breathtaking scenery, while Armenia is accused of turning the cities of Karabakh into ruins, destroying ancient cemeteries, and turning mosques into stables. Armenian separatists still remain on Azerbaijani territory. Azerbaijan claims that the separatists are looting gold deposits in the region and causing environmental damage. For more than a month Azerbaijani environmental activists have been protesting near the town of Shusha against the looting of the country's natural resources by Armenians. Shusha is the historical cultural capital of Azerbaijan. Armenians captured the town in 1992, and in the last days of the Second Karabakh war, the Azerbaijanis retook it. The story is told of a heroic battle when 'instructions were given not to use artillery and drones so as not to damage the historic structures'. A commando unit, numbering dozens of soldiers, climbed the cliff, armed only with knives and small arms, and fought hand-to-hand with Armenian soldiers," the article says.

Fariz Rzayev noted that the region has experienced enough wars, destruction, and suffering.

"We believe that the conflict ended with Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia signing a document in November 2020. The Armenians still have to withdraw the remaining armed forces from Azerbaijani territory. We are working hard to revive the region and have invested billions of dollars in this. We have built two airports in the liberated territory, and now we are building another one, we have constructed hundreds of kilometres of highways, and we are restoring the railway to the area. Direct relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia will be resumed if and when the Armenian side starts respecting the points of the trilateral statement," he said.

- Is Russia a fair mediator between Armenia and Azerbaijan?

- Russia maintains one communication channel of its own, the EU also maintains one channel of its own and there are other channels. The problem primarily concerns Armenia, which seems to be stuck in a confrontational mentality. They think there is a hidden agenda in our proposals, while we think that the peace proposal we have proposed is a good way forward for the whole region. We have offered Armenia, which is bankrupt, normalisation, the establishment of links, and the opening of roads. This will help it to rebuild its economy. We have spent many years on this conflict and now it has been resolved and the key problem no longer exists. There's a good basis for continuing normalisation.

Farid Shafiyev, chairman of the board of the Centre for Analysis of International Relations, said Armenia currently has no military force against Azerbaijan.

"The crisis has been resolved. I do not think there will be a war. I think Azerbaijan is gaining strength, and Armenia will reconsider its approach and sign an agreement. The Armenians cannot fight with us today. They do not have the military or demographic strength to fight with us," he said.

Shafiyev believes that Israeli technology can help rebuild Karabakh. Speaking on Iranian assistance to Armenians, he noted that, given what is happening in Iran today in the face of a wave of protests, it is doubtful whether Iranian aid could be of additional value to Armenians.