Iranian Studies Expert: Azerbaijan Carries Out Double Foreign Policy

IRANIAN STUDIES EXPERT: AZERBAIJAN CARRIES OUT DOUBLE FOREIGN POLICY TOWARDS BOTH WEST AND ISLAMIC COUNTIES

11:28 07/05/2013 ” INTERVIEWS

Panorama.am held an interview with Iranian studies expert Armen
Israyelyan about the new wave of tension in relations between Iran
and Azerbaijan and its reasons.

– What was the main aim of the Iran visit of head of the Azerbaijani
Presidential Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev?

– Tehran demanded explanations from Mehdiyev concerning Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister’s Israel visit. It is noteworthy that state-run
Iranian media, covering Mehdiyev’s Iran visit, first introduced him
as Secretary of Azerbaijan’s National Security Council. So we may
conclude that Iran was interested in security issues. As a rule,
some Azerbaijani high-ranking official is “hosted” by Tehran for
the purpose of giving explanations following some significant event
in Azerbaijan-Israel relations. Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar
Abiyev visited Tehran after Azerbaijan and Israel signed an agreement
on purchase of weapons in early 2012. In Tehran, Abiyev said that the
small Azerbaijan will not undertake any actions against the great
Iran, but Azerbaijani media refuted Abiyev’s statement immediately
after he returned to Baku.

– How would you assess the results of Mehdiyev’s Iran visit?

– The tension in Azerbaijan-Iran relations increases after each visit
of an Azerbaijani high-ranking official to Iran. Ali Hasanov, head of
the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration’s department for social
and political affairs, visited Iran in December 2011, and the chief of
Iran’s TV/radio Company’s Baku department Ahmad Kazemi was deported
from Azerbaijan together with his family the next day. Azerbaijani
Defense Minister Safar Abiyev’s visit to Iran in March 2012 was
followed by arrests of 22 people by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of National
Security for high treason. Mehdiyev’s visit to Iran was followed by the
arrests of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences researcher Khaled
Khaleda and her assistant by Iranian security forces for espionage,
and one of the Azerbaijani courts accused the three Russian citizens
who attempted to blow up the Israeli embassy of having links with Iran.

– Azerbaijan has repeatedly said that the military cooperation
between Israel and Azerbaijan is not directed against Iran. Do you
think Tehran believes Baku’s assurances?

– Azerbaijan carries out double foreign policy. Ramiz Mehdiyev,
in Tehran, told Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that Iran is a great friend of
Azerbaijan and criticized the West, while almost at the same time the
member of a delegation of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration
announced in Washington that Tehran intervenes in Azerbaijan’s foreign
policy and asked the United States for support.

Azerbaijan carries out double policy not only towards the West but
also towards the Islamic countries. As a member of the Organization of
Islamic Cooperation, Azerbaijan uses the support of Islamic countries
at international instances to secure its political goals, but at the
same time we see how mosques are destroyed in Azerbaijan, people are
sentenced for religious activities and for wearing hijab. Moreover,
some of the arrested religious figures are accused of cooperation
with Iran.

– Do you think Iran gives an adequate response to Azerbaijan’s policy?

– I think as an influential member of the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation, Iran should draw the attention of Islamic countries to
the fact that Baku carries out double policy, and raise the issue
of depriving Azerbaijan of membership in that organization. As for
an adequate assessment, I think tension in Iran-Azerbaijan relations
has reached a point where diplomatic correctness gives no results and
therefore Tehran should express a clear position to restrain Baku’s
anti-Iranian policy, otherwise the Baku-led anti-Iranian campaign
will be joined by Turkey. We already witness it. In that case, Iran
will suffer irreversible damage.

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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress