Azerbaijan is one of the few Muslim countries has robust mutual relationship with Israel. Diplomatic cooperation between two countries is developing successfully over various fields, such as trade, energy, technologies, science, tourism, agriculture, medicine and military. Israel is the most powerful and inviolable state in the Middle East that has geopolitical, energy and economic interests in South Caucasus and Caspian region. Azerbaijan is considered as very necessary and significant partner for Israeli political and military elites.
Eurasia Diary interviewed Israeli Geophysics expert, Lev V. Eppelbaum regarding Israel-Azerbaijan diplomatic cooperation.
Eurasia Diary: From your opinion, what are main areas of bilateral cooperation between Israel and Azerbaijan?
Lev V. Eppelbaum: First of all, I must note that I am a member of the Israel-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce, where I am a Scientific Advisor for the Earth Sciences, economic deposits and space technologies.
I was a chess champion and vice-champion of Baku in 1982-1983.
I am constantly communicating with my colleagues in Azerbaijan in the field of geological-geophysical investigations (I will describe it below in detail).
Without hesitation the main areas of the bilateral cooperation between Israel and Azerbaijan are: Different branches of science, School education, Industry & Commerce, Culture, Sport, Military communications, Joint security communications, Joint diplomatic communications and obviously many other fields.
Eurasia Diary: From point of your view, what is an important element of public diplomacy in bilateral relations between two countries?
Lev V. Eppelbaum: I personally suggest that Azerbaijan Republic will open an Embassy or, at least, diplomatic mission in Israel at the nearest months. It will simplify many problems of the bilateral relations between Israel and Azerbaijan.
Eurasia Diary: What is your opinion about the development of relations of Azerbaijan with Israel in military sphere?
Lev V. Eppelbaum: My opinion that these relations are now at a high level and will be evaluated in the future. Military industry of Israel is well-known in the world and I am sure that Israeli weapons will stabilize the political situation in the South Caucasus. From other side, I suggest that the Azerbaijani side may also propose significant components to the Israeli side.
Eurasia Diary: Israel-Azerbaijan inter-parliamentary friendship group has been acting positively in the development of diplomatic relations between two countries. In your opinion, are citizens of Azerbaijan and Israel ready to operate together under one group in various fields- such as science, education, technology and culture?
Lev V. Eppelbaum: Without hesitation, joint communications of Azerbaijan and Israel citizens will be useful and helpful for both sides. Besides science, education, technology and culture, I can note also military and security spheres. I will talk only about myself. I am member of Editorial Boards of two Journals publishing in Azerbaijan: “Stratigraphy and Sedimentology” of Oil-Gas Basins, and also “Izvestiya” (Proceedings) of the Azerbaijanian Academy of Sciences, Earth Sciences. We have recently published two volumes "Geosciences of Azerbaijan" in Springer.
In the spring of 2015, the delegation of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) has visited Tel Aviv University (TAU), where I gave a scientific lecture and carried out an excursion at TAU. We have signed a Memorandum about the bilateral communications in various branches of sciences. We have carried out a special investigation in 2015-2016 "Deep Structure of South Caucasus Derived from 3D modeling of gravity and magnetic fields". I was invited in November of 2016 to participate at the party which was dedicated to the celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the ANAS in Baku. I together with my Azerbaijani colleagues were selected as conveners (chairpersons) at the recent scientific section "Geodynamics of the Caucasian-Arabian Syntaxis" at the European Geosciences Union in Vienna in April 2017. I published six papers during last 5 years in the “Izvestiya” of the Azerbaijanian Academy of Sciences, as well as two papers in "Oil and Gas Journal" and "Annales of Geophysics" with Azerbaijanian colleagues.
Eurasia Diary: You know very well that Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 % of territory of Azerbaijan including Nagorno Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. It's been 23 years since more than one million people have become refugees and internally displaced. What is political position of Israel in the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?
Lev V. Eppelbaum: First of all, I propose that the name of the region 'Nagorno-Karabakh' contains a mistake. It is obvious that if we will translate the word 'Nagorno' as 'Upland', a people will not understand it. But not 'Karabakh', but 'Garabagh', as it follows from the numerous historical Azerbaijani and other sources. About three years ago Aliyev administration has solved that the Russified name of 'Kura' River must be replaced by the correct ancient name 'Kur' River. Besides this, many other rivers and districts received their native (historical) names. Of course, that I follow these recommendations in my recent papers and books. In all my publications towards the South Caucasian geology and geophysics, I underline that Nagorno-Garabagh geographically and politically relates to Azerbaijan. I strongly support returning all the occupied territories to Azerbaijan. I believe also that not all Armenian people support this occupation: a significant part of Armenians understand the amorality, futility and all the terrible consequences of this occupation. I believe that enormous struggle of Azerbaijani people and Aliyev Administration for returning these occupied territories to their native owners will be ended by a total victory. At the same time, the famous Latin adage "Si vis pacem, para bellum" can be translated as "If you want a peace, prepare for war". In my opinion, this sentence reflects the current position of Azerbaijan in relation to this conflict.
Lev V. Eppelbaum is the author of more than 330 publications including 7 books and about 130 articles. His scientific interests cover potential (magnetic, gravity, thermal) and quasi-potential geophysical field analysis in complex geological and geophysical environments, integrated interpretation of geophysical and geological data, tectonic, geodynamic and paleomagnetic reconstructions. Eppelbaum’s research interests include also analysis of nonlinear geophysical processes, archaeological and environmental investigationsas well as searching economic minerals.
