Joseph Shagal: "Both economic associations and military alliances are possible with such a partner as Azerbaijan"

- Mass medias have recently reported that in line with an existing bilateral agreement, Israel will supply Azerbaijan with ammunitions for hundreds of millions of shekel. This includes advanced missile systems, communication means, military facilities and equipment, produced by concerns "Taasiya tsvait" and "Tadiran". Do you consider this information reliable or is it a lie, aimed at consumption in some countries of the region?

- Except for the announcement of the Gaarets newspaper, you are referring to, I do not have any official confirmation or denial of this information either from Israeli or Azerbaijani official sources.

- The same Gaarets newspaper states that the contacts between Jerusalem and Baku have intensified due to the Iranian threat. Do you consider that such threat is possible against Azerbaijan?

- I can answer positively to the first part of your question: the political, economic and cultural contacts between Jerusalem and Baku are really active and fruitful, which is, naturally, encouraging for the supporters of the Azerbaijani-Israeli cooperation, whose number is not small in our and, I hope, your country.

As for the second part of the question, it should be put to the leadership of Azerbaijan, which has its own vision of the strategic situation in the region.

The fact that you do not ask me whether there is an Iranian threat for Israel evidences that this question does not raise any doubts in you. As for Israel, we are confident that the accelerated rates of the Iranian nuclear program and stubborn ignoring of the demands of IAEA controllers are a real threat not only for Israel, but also for the whole civilian world.

- The information about possible supplies of advanced weapon to Azerbaijan by Israel via Turkey appeared in press several years ago. The possible creation of the military alliance of these two countries was also spoken of. Is this idea real?

- It is real. But the question is: how much it corresponds to the state and national interests of each of the three countries.

I would remind that the idea of creation of such a alliance when needed is not new. The analysts' proposal of the reality of the strategic axle Baku -Ankara - Jerusalem first appeared in western press more than a decade ago, almost, simultaneously with the encapsulation of the Karabakh conflict and occupation of a large part of Azerbaijan by Armenians. The idea appeared due to the balanced position of Baku, which did not allow to launch a large scale war in the Caucasus region. In other words, Azerbaijan, in the last years of the 20th century, declared himself to be a serious player, which avoids military and political adventures and maximally uses all opportunities for the peaceful resolution of the conflict. To my mind: both economic associations and military alliances can be created with such a partner - if there is a need and a direct interest of the Azerbaijani Republic.

- During the recent conflict in Georgia, some representatives of Moscow, accused Israel of "illegal armament of Georgia". Do you admit the possibility of such dark sides in the Georgian-Israeli military cooperation?

- I do not quite understand the phrase "illegal armament of Georgia". Has the world community imposed embargo on the supplies of weapons to Georgia, which Israel, by example of the same Iran, supplying weapons to religions fans of Hizbullah and HAMAS, has violated?

This is an absolutely legal trade of arms, which, as you know, is one of the main articles of Iranian export. I would also like to note that Israeli military supplies to Georgia were absolutely "transparent" and limited by quite an "easy" complex of ammunitions, including shooting guns, some kinds of artillery, explosives, missile defense and communication means, reconnaissance pilotless jets and shells. As is seen, we did not supply any advanced jets, or tanks or attacking missile complexes to Georgia (despite persistent requests of Tbilisi).

Moreover, after the first attacks on Tskhinvali, Israeli stopped its military supplies to Georgia and withdrew all representatives of the firms, supplying arms to Georgia, from this country, which was positively assessed even in Moscow. As you see, there are no "dark" sides in the Georgian-Israeli military cooperation.

- Before the aforementioned events around South Ossetia Moscow was speaking much of the active use of pilotless jets of Israeli production by Georgia. On the whole, which military technique and ammunitions, produced in Israeli, can be the most urgent in the South Caucasus countries?

- I think you know that Israeli military industry is producing almost the whole range of advanced highly technological ammunitions. We do not conceal it from anyone. On the list of the countries- the world exporters of arms, Israel retains the place among the five leaders, which is, undoubtedly, the remarkable achievement of the Israeli economy.

On the other hand - I have partially spoken of it, answering the previous question - Israel is a democratic country, where export of arms is under stiff control of the state. Israel will never supply arms to a country, if this may affect the security of neighbor states, destabilize the political situation in a definite region or have a negative impact on the Jewish community of this country, even theoretically.

Though I'm not a specialist in the sphere of armament and I have no idea of which Israeli military technique or weapons may become urgent in the South Caucasus region, I do not doubt that in any case the issue will be settled not by the countries, which need these arms, but by Israel, which has these arms...

- Which of the South Caucasus countries is the most perspective military partner of Israel?

- As a historian, I remember that military cooperation is impossible without a political one. Israel, due to its unique geopolitical location, is always ready to expand the circle of its friends, which envisions the positive attitude of a partner towards Israel and the Jewish community in this country.

Israel really needs friends, partners and states, with whom it can build mutually profitable relations on a long-term basis. I hope you understand that such relations are created on the basis of stable political, economic, diplomatic, scientific and cultural cooperation on all levels and only after it, when cooperation grows into stable friendly relations, the issue of partnership in the sphere of defense can be raised.

Considering my experience, based on 40 years of living in Baku, I hope that Azerbaijan has everything for becoming such a partner to Israel.

/Day.Az/