Azerbaijan minister makes history at AIPAC
WASHINGTON – Azerbaijan carved out a historic role for itself by being the first majority Shi’ite country to have a cabinet-level minister deliver a speech at AIPAC’s annual policy conference, advancing the troika of relations among the Caucasus nation, Israel and the US.
Azerbaijani finance minister Samir Sharifov said “Cooperation with Israel is not limited to oil supply. We are interested in widening cooperation in defense and transfer of technology.”
He noted that Israel is one of the few “states that supported in Azerbaijan in need, with armaments.”
In a second act of history, Sharifov read remarks from Mehriban Aliyeva, the first vice president of Azerbaijan. “It is gratifying that our former compatriots of Jewish origin, living nowadays in the United States and Israel have maintained close ties with Azerbaijan and contribute to the strengthening of our relations with these countries, we are much grateful to them.”
The glasnost – or opening of relations among Arab nations and Israel – remains part and parcel of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy.
“Azerbaijan is very important for the recent trend in relations between Arab states and Israel,” said Sharifov.
Elin Suleymanov, Azerbaijan’s ambassador to the US, told The Jerusalem Post that “It is very significant that a cabinet minister is speaking to the Jewish community – this shows the level of partnership we have with the Jewish people.”
He noted that there is “no reason to hide it [relations with AIPAC and Israel]. Our relationships are always transparent and positive and based on mutual interests. They are never against anybody else.” Suleymanov said “both Turkey and Israel need each other in the region.”
He noted that “The example of Azerbaijan’s relations with Israel breaks the ice” between Arab countries and Israel.
For Suleymanov there are “two litmus tests” for relations for any society in general:
“Radicalism begins from antisemitism because what is bad to the Jews will spread to others. Azerbaijan is proud that we have never had any antisemitism in our history.”
The other is “the role of women” and how women are treated. “This is why Azerbaijan emphasizes the role of women and granted women the right to vote in 1918, before the US.”