MATTER OF PRINCIPLE

Michael Lavon Lotem was just recently appointed Israeli ambassador to Azerbaijan.  But despite the short time he has been here, he already has very good impressions of Azerbaijan.  Although diplomats usually assemble information on the destination country before their arrival, the Israeli diplomat said that he was very pleased to see the country with his own eyes.  "I can say that both Baku and the places I have visited outside the capital have made a very good impression on me," Michael Lavon Lotem told us, welcoming us to his office.  At the same time, he is sure that working in the difficult region in which Azerbaijan is situated will not be easy.  "One thing I am certain of is that I will not be bored," the ambassador said, adding that he was ready to answer our questions.  And we grasped the opportunity.

- Ambassador, let me begin with Azerbaijani-Israeli relations and ask you the question which has probably already been asked of you.  What is your assessment of relations between our countries at present?

- Of course, we are pleased with the current state of relations, especially given that Azerbaijan is situated in a very difficult neighbourhood.  From this point of view, President Shimon Perez's visit to Azerbaijan was very important.  After all, there are not so many countries visited by Israeli presidents and prime ministers, and Azerbaijan is one of those few countries.  The impressions with which the Israeli president left Azerbaijan gave a positive message for the development of bilateral relations.

You know, sometimes visits at such a high level are not without their difficulties.  Because there are different groups in the world which pursue different interests, and various states want the president to pay a visit just to their country, to go to their region.  This is why the fact that Israeli specialists, the president's entourage and the head of state himself chose Azerbaijan for a visit, is important.

- You stressed that Azerbaijan's neighbourhood is difficult.  It is also known that Baku manages to pursue quite a balanced foreign policy.  What is Israel's assessment of this policy?  Perhaps there are expectations that cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel will become even closer?

- I will answer your second question first.  Despite the sensitivity of the region and the situation, we communicate with your leaders freely and easily, and their activities are also independent.

As for expectations, I would simply say that for our part, we welcome all types of assistance and help from Azerbaijan during the dialogues we conduct.  This may be in our talks with the Palestinians and in our dialogues with other neighbours in the region.  We welcome any assistance from Azerbaijan in these matters.

Of course, there are many frailties in this area.  I would like to cite one example.  Just one week ago (we interviewed the ambassador on 30 September - writer), the president of one country voiced his doubt from the UN tribune that the Holocaust had taken place and he denied that it is a historical fact; this is recognized by the rest of the world and is a very sensitive issue.  I do not wish to discuss this.  But I must say that this type of policy is inadmissible.  It is incomprehensible and unacceptable to us that a UN member country denies the fact of such a tragic crime against humanity.

- We will touch upon the Iran issue later, Ambassador.  But for now, with your permission, I would like to continue our conversation about Azerbaijani-Israeli relations.  At the very outset of your work in Baku, you said that you would focus mainly on promoting economic cooperation between our countries.  To what extent is the potential for cooperation realised and in which areas is there unused potential?

- I arrived in Azerbaijan very recently.  But I have some information about the country's economic potential and economic relations.  During this period, I have seen that Azerbaijan has actually attracted a colossal amount of investment, which is very important.  At the same time, I have to say that the development of food production is a pressing issue today.  And this is so not only for Azerbaijan, but for many other countries, including Israel.  This was one of the topics discussed during the Israeli president's visit to Azerbaijan.

While on the subject, I would like Israeli businessmen to come here and initiate cooperation with local businessmen.  This could be in meat or dairy products or any field of agriculture.  I think that this area is of great interest for both sides.

Of course, we should not forget that 70% of Israel's economy is in high technology.  From this point of view, there is great potential for cooperation with Azerbaijan in communications, integrated computer systems and in the process of creating electronic government.  The Israeli company Ness is already active in the market here but, in my opinion, more companies and businessmen from Israel could be attracted here.

I will cite a small example of Israeli technology.  We have a computerized system for the regulation of road traffic.  It takes photographs when a car exceeds the speed limit and sends information to the centre, where a fine is imposed and, together with information about the violation, it is forwarded to the computer of the driver who broke the law.  The driver, for his part, pays his fine without wasting extra time and money.

A similar system is used in the health care sector.  A patient's destiny usually lies in the hands of one doctor.  But Israeli technology makes it possible to send the results of a medical examination to several doctors of the patient's choice.  This makes it possible to diagnose the patient after considering the opinions of several specialists at the same time.

- In trade between Azerbaijan and Israel, oil and oil products are most significant.  But you have listed quite a few sectors which would make it possible to diversify the structure of trade.  Are there any specific plans in this area, such as organizing business forums or other events?

- My vision for the plans you ask about is somewhat different.  We have a saying in Israel:  "A friend will bring a friend."  Of course, I can organize different seminars and business forums for form's sake.  But we believe that they are not very effective.  For example, we can invite more than 50 companies here:  they will arrive, take part, voice their opinion and leave.  It would be more appropriate for us to organize mutual visits by representatives of specific spheres, familiarize them with the fields of interest and establish direct links between them.  There do not have to be many of them - it could be just two or three companies or businessmen, who could establish relations, implement projects, open factories, install equipment and so on.  Naturally, if these people are able to set up work here, they will tell other businessmen in Israel that the region is more stable, more efficient, and it is good to do business here.

- Certainly, to accomplish all that, there must be a favourable business climate in addition to good intentions.  What is your assessment of the conditions in Azerbaijan for attracting investments from Israel?

- Azerbaijan is a very good country for doing business.  Your country has created a favourable business climate; there is a lot of money, and many people to do business with here.  They are very knowledgeable about different aspects of business activity and there are many people in Israel who would certainly wish to establish business contacts with them.

- Let us go back to the situation in this region, which you called sensitive.  One of the factors increasing this sensitivity is the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.  What, in your opinion, hinders the settlement of this conflict, what other efforts can the international community make to resolve the problem peacefully?

- I understand you because I come from a country which is afflicted by conflict.  There are similarities and differences between these conflicts.  Our country has always supported the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and this is very important.  In our conflict, for example, the international community has demanded specifically that Israel withdraw from the territories which it was forced to occupy after it was attacked in 1967.  If this is what Israel is required to do and if these are principles, they have to be seen as principles.

This is a matter of course, but to regulate the conflict, there must be a firm political will on both sides to get down to the negotiating table and resolve the issue.  I believe that this is very important.

- Incidentally, the same question can be asked of you in the context of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.  How appropriate does Israel find the current attitude of the international community toward the conflict?  Are you pleased with the efforts made to settle it?

- Of course, the opinion of the international community is very important because that attitude creates the atmosphere for regulation of the conflict.  But the position of the opposite side is also important.  When discussing that conflict, we must understand what Palestinians want.  For many years, especially in this century, we have witnessed huge efforts by the international community:  it put forward diplomatic and financial measures, a certain amount was allocated, aid was provided to bring both sides to mutual understanding.  But then Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat did not want to reach an agreement.  Figuratively speaking, he was offered 96% of the cake which was on the table, but he wanted all 100%.  However, as a man who knows the Near Eastern market well, I can say that, in the Near East, getting 50% of the cake is a good result already.  But unfortunately, the Palestinian leaders of the period found even 96% unacceptable.

Of course, there are many good examples of the international community's efforts, both diplomatic and financial, but as you can see, even this is not always enough.

- That was the case under previous Palestinian leaders.  But what about the incumbent administration of Mahmud Abbas - does its position prevent you from meeting at the negotiating table too?

- Speaking about the incumbent Palestinian administration, we have to bear in mind first and foremost that it does not govern the entire Palestinian people; it does not control it fully.  It is in control of only part of Palestine.  Naturally, there is a need for a leader who is able to reach decision, who has a firm resolve to settle this conflict, to provide a bright future for his people, to get to the negotiating table, stipulate his conditions to the Israeli side and say what he wants in return.  In other words, there must be a resolute leader on the Palestinian side who has absolute control over his people.

In World War II, for example, 6 million Jews were killed.  On the one hand, the psychology of a victim reigned among the Jews and, on the other hand, the Jews were under Arab attack.  And then David Ben Gurion decided to compromise and build the state of Israel by making do with the territories which the Israelis controlled.  Back then, even Jerusalem was not under Israel's control.  Can you imagine what that means - Jews without Jerusalem?

But David Ben Gurion agreed even to that.  This is the type of leader that the Palestinians lack today, who controls himself, rather than being controlled.

- And what do you think about the Iran issue?  Just recently, Tehran announced the launch of a second nuclear reactor and tested missiles.  What will happen, in your opinion, if diplomatic and economic levers of pressure do not influence Iran's stance?  How real is the threat of an exchange of military attacks between Iran and Israel - something which concerns the whole world today?

- I would like to stress that viewing the Iranian problem as a problem for Israel is a mistake.  Iran's desire to develop nuclear weapons, its support for terrorism is our problem too, but the Iran problem is first and foremost a threat and headache for the entire region and the world.  There are even a number of Arab countries for which an Iran armed with nuclear weapons would be a nightmare.

I think that the international community must react more strongly and look into this issue more closely, and this is currently being done.  Many countries in the world, be it Russia or the United States, view this threat seriously because they realize well what is going on.  You heard Ahmadinejad's speech at the UN General Assembly session recently and heard the news that a nuclear facility was opened in Iran after that and that missiles were tested.  This was a clear message.  Sometime people look for challenges but, very recently, we have seen the challenge clearly.

- And in conclusion, Ambassador, we would like to clarify one detail.  When I asked you about the regulation of Karabakh, you cited the example of the Near East conflict and said that the international community's demands for withdrawal from the territories which were occupied by Israel in 1967 should be viewed as a principle.  Does this apply to the Karabakh issue?  After all, the UN alone has adopted several resolutions which demand the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

- (Smiles).  You said this better than I did.

- Thank you, Ambassador.  We thank you for your time.