Azerbaijan is today the leader of geopolitical and geoeconomic processes in the South Caucasus. Today it is a real fact that no geopolitical and geo-economic project can be implemented without Azerbaijan's participation. Therefore, in this sense, Azerbaijan is a very important strategic partner of the EU.

Head of the Baku International Center for Multiculturalism in Israel, a well-known Israeli expert in international relations Arye Gut said this in an interview with News.Az.

The Israeli expert noted that at a video conference of the Eastern Partnership summit, President Ilham Aliyev said that Azerbaijan is an active partner of the Eastern Partnership today, and cooperation with the EU is one of the important foreign policy priorities of Azerbaijan.

"Azerbaijan has signed documents on strategic partnership with nine European Union members. Azerbaijan is actively working with important geopolitical players of EU countries such as Italy, Germany, France and others. Therefore, from this point of view, this videoconference has made a new special contribution to the development of bilateral relations during the coronavirus pandemic and thus, as President Ilham Aliyev noted, Azerbaijan is in the final stage of negotiations on a new partnership agreement with the EU", Arye Gut said.

The Israeli expert recalled that 2 years ago in Brussels, Azerbaijan and the EU initialed a partnership priority document, which emphasizes the commitment of both sides to the principles of independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of internationally recognized borders.

"This moment is very important for Azerbaijan, as the country is in conflict with Armenia. As a result of this war and aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan, 20% of the territory of Azerbaijan is occupied, in particular, the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent districts. These territories have been under Armenian occupation for 30 years. As a result of this occupation and ethnic cleansing, there are 1 million Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons in the territory of Azerbaijan", he said.

In the opinion of our interlocutor, President Ilham Aliyev is quite rightly using any international platform to declare about that important and bleeding wound of Azerbaijan, which is the result of the aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan and occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories.

"Therefore, from this point of view, President Ilham Aliyev has once again proved himself as a real, pragmatic and skillful diplomat who, on the one hand, spoke about Azerbaijan's successes in its relations with the EU and the achievements that exist within the framework of EU-Azerbaijan cooperation. On the other hand, the Azerbaijani head of state never forgets to speak about the very problem, which is a real wound and pain of the Azerbaijani people", Arye Gut believes.

Commenting on the provocative speech made at the videoconference by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Gut stressed that Pashinyan remained that failed journalist and showed himself as the head of the Armenian state far from diplomatic norms and concepts. The current head of the Armenian government understands very well that his country is in a state of failure. The Western bibliography calls it a failed state. Therefore, from this point of view, I think that Azerbaijan, as the leader of geopolitical and geoeconomic processes in the South Caucasus, continues its development, is a transport and geopolitical hub in the entire South Caucasus. 

Arye Gut also expressed surprise at Pashinyan's statement that there are allegedly acts of racism against Armenians in Azerbaijan.

"Pashinyan should be reminded that Azerbaijan has been a model of inter-ethnic, inter-religious and intercultural dialogue for many years. Azerbaijan has been and is home to many religions and peoples. Judaism and Islam, fire worship and Christianity coexisted on ancient Azerbaijani land. Even today, this land continues to demonstrate an incredible desire for tolerance and religious tolerance. In this sense, being an Israeli citizen, I would like to note the unprecedented attitude towards the Jewish community of Azerbaijan. It is the President of Azerbaijan and the country's leadership that shows a caring and warm attitude towards all national minorities in Azerbaijan, including Jews and Christians. It is worth mentioning that there has never been anti-Semitism in Azerbaijan and Jews have never felt like foreigners here. It is a fact that today over 30 thousand Armenians live in Azerbaijan. What racism against Armenians in Azerbaijan we can talk about. Here I would like to ask the Pashinyan regime, who teaches whom morals and ethics, when the systematic policy "Armenia without Turks" was launched in January 1988."

"The Government of Armenia, the Karabakh and Krunk Committees and representatives of the Echmiadzin Church under the patronage of the USSR leadership provoked thousands of bloody actions in the process of expulsion of 250 thousand ethnic Azerbaijanis from their native lands and subjected to ethnic cleansing in Armenia. As a result of ethnic cleansing, 185 settlements of Armenia were cleaned out, over 250 thousand Azerbaijanis and 18 thousand Kurds were forcibly expelled from their native lands, 217 Azerbaijanis were killed by Armenians. Of these, 49 people died from frostbite in the mountains fleeing from Armenians, 41 people were killed as a result of monstrous beatings, 35 people were killed by torture, 115 people were burnt, 16 were shot, 10 died of heart attack, unable to withstand torture, two were killed by doctors in the hospital, the rest were sunk, hanged, electrocuted, beheaded," Arye Gut said. 

"Armenia is the most monoethnic country in the post-Soviet space, where chauvinism, nationalism and the glorification of fascists and anti-Semites have become an integral part of state policy. In this sense, it is inappropriate and immoral for Armenia to teach Azerbaijan multiculturalism and tolerance," stressed Arye Gut.

At the same time, our interlocutor continued, President Ilham Aliyev recalled the events of 1983 at Orly airport in France, where Armenian criminals committed a terrorist attack. One of those terrorists, Karapetyan, was arrested by the French authorities.

"President Ilham Aliyev reminded participants of the Eastern Partnership video conference that Armenian terrorists committed a terrorist attack Orly airport in Paris in July 1983. Karapetyan was one of the organizers of this terrorist attack. Ilham Aliyev recalled this and said that Karapetyan was pardoned after being deported from France to Armenia. Now he lives in the house that was given to him by the Armenian state as a national hero. It is quite noticeable that fascists, terrorists and anti-Semites become national heroes on the territory of modern Armenia. And regardless of the political regime, be it Kocharian, Sargsyan or Pashinyan's regime, all these regimes indulge and glorify the fascists, terrorists, nationalists and chauvinists, who turned into national heroes. Doesn't Armenia have other heroes?" summed up Arye Gut.

News.Az