Faina Kirshenbaum: “The potential of our relations with Georgia and Azerbaijan isn’t fully explored yet”

Interview by Peter Lukimson, Israel, exclusively to VK

Israeli MPs Faina Kirshenbaum and Orit Zuarets have recently visited Georgia and Azerbaijan. Ms Kirshenbaum told VK about the trip.

 - As a Baku native, I can’t to fail to ask you what impression did Baku make on you? And Tbilisi? Was it your first visit to these cities?

- I have been to Baku before, but it is the first time that I’ve been to the Caucasus on an official visit. Both cities are fascinating and very beautiful, and their residents are very hospitable. But it was a working visit, so unfortunately we didn’t have time to take a walk and see the cities properly.

-What were the principle goals of this visit?

- There’s no doubt that today the relationship with Azerbaijan is of strategic value. A lot of our high officials go there, but it is also important to develop the inter-parliamentary ties, as without these ties a fully-operational partnership is impossible. So our visit was aimed at boosting these inter-parliamentary ties. So we met with a number of Azeri MPs, with diaspora minister Nazim Ibragimov and with the head of the Tourism Ministry. The latter is of particular importance as wile our tourists exchange with Georgia is rather intense, tourist connections with Azerbaijan are virtually non-existent. But we managed to achieve certain agreements that will move the process along: Israeli representatives will for the first time take part in the international tourism expo in Baku this autumn. Before that representatives of major Israeli tourist companies will go to Baku and will investigate the potential of Azeri market. Then we’ll organize a tour for Israeli journalists who specialize in tourism so that they would create an attractive image of Azerbaijan in the Israeli media. Azerbaijan stopped being a terra incognita for the Israeli people, now it is an important economic partner for us. But Israeli tourists still don’t know about this state’s unique nature, history and thermal waters – three factors that usually attract tourists.

Another important aspect of our visit was meeting the Jewish communities of Azerbaijan and Georgia. I’ll remind you that these two countries have always been tolerant and there was almost no anti-Semitism there. I think that we could use the Jewish communities of these two states as a bridge between our countries, and for now this lobby potential isn’t used on full scale.

- What could Israel offer Georgia and Azerbaijan and what does it expect in exchange?

- I think that Israel could share its technological and scientific achievements with Azerbaijan, and that is exactly what they want. Common Israeli people often disregard the fact that we live in a country that is world a leader in many branches of industry and agriculture. Azerbaijan faces certain irrigation problems, so they are very interested in our scientist’s achievements in this area. And there’s great number of other technologies we could share with Azerbaijan.

But Azerbaijan could also give a lot to Israel: every third car-owner in Israel buys petroleum made from Azeri oil. And if you take the deterioration of our relations with Egypt and the general increase of demand for energy sources into account, you’ll see that it is quite obvious what does Azerbaijan have to give us. But I also believe that the potential of our relations with Azerbaijan isn’t fully explored yet, and they will develop further in all possible areas, including science and culture.

- You’re talking about Azerbaijan. But what about Georgia?

- I believe that despite the bright statistics our relations with Georgia are in fact only beginning. They also have an immense development potential, and I have no doubt that this potential will be explored. I would also like to mention that in the course of all our meetings in Baku and Tbilisi we brought up the issue of the Iranian nuclear threat. I had an impression that both states understand Israel’s concern and share it in general. However, it is natural that Azerbaijan and Georgia have to observe their own interests as far as Iran is concerned. For today, Iran is one of the main economic partners of Georgia. So we can’t ask Georgia to stop these relations without offering anything in return.

- One of the topics interesting for Azeri and Georgian expatriates living in Israel is the matter of pensions they earned while living and working in these countries. Did you bring this issue up during your visit?

- No. Questions like this are usually resolved on the level of Ministers. It wasn’t on our agenda and we didn’t meet with any officials who had control over such issues. But personally I would like to say that, even though this question is very important, we should approach it differentially. For example, Azerbaijan is an economically successful state now, so it could pay pensions to its citizens who left for Israel when they were already not young. But it would be ridiculous to put such a demand forward with Georgia – it would bring its budget to ruin. In any case this issue should be settled by a series of bilateral treaties.

- And the last question. It is no secret that today Israel doesn’t pretend on any territory of an internationally recognized state, while 20% of Azeri territory, recognized by the international community, is occupied by Armenia. Why do you think the world demands us to cease the ‘occupation’ of mo-man’s land, but makes no such demands to Armenia? And shouldn’t, in this case, Israel be more insistent on stopping the occupation of Azeri territories?

- Of course, when you get to know the development of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict better, a lot of questions and associations arise. But we went to Georgia and Azerbaijan to promote friendship and not to spoil relations with other countries. I think we shouldn’t get involved in other states’ conflicts; we need to have a well-balanced foreign policy that would allow us to have good relations with different states. It should be the golden rule of our policy everywhere, and, of course, on the South Caucasus.