Expert: Azerbaijan Not to Open Embassy in Israel Due to Respect for Iran
News number: 9012153795 15:56 | 2012-03-31
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9012153795

TEHRAN (FNA)- A senior Azeri military expert and a former parliament member
dismissed the US reports about a military alliance between his country and
the Zionist regime of Israel, and said Azerbaijan even refrains from opening
an embassy in Israel due to its high esteem for the Islamic Republic of
Iran.

Azerbaijani military expert Vladimir Timoshenko, a lieutenant general
(retired) in the air defense forces and former MP, made the remarks in an
interview with News.Az.

Asked to comment on the information made public by the US sources that
Israel supposedly has an agreement with Azerbaijan on the use of airfields
by Israeli aircraft to attack Iran, he said, "It seems to me that this is
not the case. What these sources say is not true and cannot be."

"The government of Azerbaijan will never agree to use the republic's
territory against Iran, even in exchange for a promise of gold mountain,
even if the Americans promise us to return Karabakh. I have faith in this,"
he continued.

"Notice that because of the respect for the neighborly relations with Iran,
Azerbaijan for 20 years has not opened its embassy in Israel," he added.

He reiterated that a war on Iran would harm Azerbaijan's interests in
different ways.

"We are all aware of what we can face in the event of war in Iran. The
influx of a huge wave of refugees, many of which are our countrymen is only
one aspect of the problem, let alone the other aspects and consequences of
such a war for Azerbaijan."

Yet, the former general could not evade the question about the assortment of
weapons mentioned in the USD 1.6bn worth agreement of Azerbaijan with
Israel. The weapons deal includes such types of weapons as anti-ship cruise
missiles like Gabriel, which are obviously not directed against Armenia as
they are only good for a war in the sea.

In response to the question against whom these missiles as well as unmanned
aerial vehicles Heron and Searcher, air defense system of Barak type with 75
missiles and radar EL/M-2080 Green Pine could be directed, the retired
general said, "Perhaps anti-ship missiles have a hint to Iran but only a
hint in the negotiations on the status of the Caspian Sea."