(MENAFN- Trend News Agency)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb.17
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Israel hopes its companies to be part of renewable energy
projects in Azerbaijan, Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan George
Deek said in an exclusive interview with Trend.
He pointed out that Israel is a world leader in green energy
technology.
“I think we can work closely with Azerbaijan, with the
government, the ministry of energy, the agency for renewable energy
in order to bring Israeli technologies in solar and wind energy
mostly. I was very impressed in Azerbaijan by the existing
infrastructure for solar energy. I visited Nakhchivan and have seen
five solar power plants, which can in the sunny days supply almost
100 percent of energy needs of Nakhchivan, which is extremely
impressive. I was also impressed by the Agency of Renewable Energy
and its plans to come out with options and with tenders for
renewable energy projects in Azerbaijan, including in Karabakh, but
not only. Our companies will also be interested in coming and
partnering with Azerbaijan on that front as well.
We're hoping that Israeli companies will also be part of
renewable energy projects in Azerbaijan. It hasn't happened yet, we
regret that and we hope that will happen soon,” added the
envoy.
Projects in Karabakh
Through the Israeli embassy 10-15 Israeli companies have applied
to take part in projects in Karabakh, said Israeli Ambassador to
Azerbaijan George Deek.
“Even higher number of companies from Israel have applied
directly, not through the embassy. I assume that we're talking
about tens of companies that are applying for various projects
ranging from building smart cities, to green energy, agriculture,
building a hospital, spa treatment center. There are various
projects on the table and not all of them go through the embassy.
We have a very active private sector, it works independently,” he
said.
Deek pointed out that Israel has always stood
shoulder-to-shoulder with Azerbaijan in its support for the
territorial integrity of the country.
“We are very happy that Azerbaijan now has the opportunity to
rebuild and to revive Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur. We think that
this creates a huge opportunity for cooperation between Azerbaijan
and various countries in the world. We think Israel also has a lot
to contribute in several fields, such as water management,
agriculture, health, innovations, smart cities and green energy.
So, I believe that in each one of these areas Israel can be a good
partner of Azerbaijan,” said the envoy.
He noted that right now, there are several projects that are in
the pipeline with the Israeli agricultural private sector.
“Many Israeli companies in the agricultural sector are coming,
negotiating, seeing, inspecting and meeting with Azerbaijani
partners in order to look into projects. There was one that was
announced in Zangilan, which we are very optimistic about. It will
be ready in the near future. An Israeli company is going to
establish and to run a farm and smart village. We do not sign these
agreements as a government, but there are companies from Israel
which sign agreements with our partners. For example, there is an
Azerbaijani company in charge of the smart city agreement in
Zangilan. They are signing it between two private companies. There
have been negotiations. I believe it has been finalized and there
should be a farm for hundreds of cows and buffaloes to provide
milk, which will also go for processing to provide food,
employments and expertise for the people of the region,” said
Deek.
As for other areas, the ambassador noted that in Aghdam, for
example, there have been projects in the water sector, that have
been negotiated with companies like Mekorot, Baran Group and
others.
“We hope that soon something tangible will be finalized between
the two sides,” he added.
Deek went on to add that Israel is ready also for its companies
to take part in projects in the field of green energy in Karabakh
or in other parts of Azerbaijan.
“There are now projects in Absheron that Israeli companies may
be interested in, especially in solar and wind energy. We're trying
to create more cooperation between the companies in this field.
There is no doubt that the cooperation is going to grow. We have to
remember one thing: the reconstruction of Karabakh is a historic
momentum, challenge and effort for Azerbaijan. What we have proven
as Israel is that we are here in our partnership and friendship
with Azerbaijan for the long run. We're not looking only on one
year or two years term, but longer run. Wherever Azerbaijan decides
that Israeli expertise and assistance is needed, we're going to be
ready to assist,” he said.
As for the demining of Azerbaijan's liberated lands, the
ambassador said he had several meetings with Azerbaijan National
Agency for Mine Action about cooperation in demining.
“Several Israeli companies came here and had consultations with
the Agency. They even toured those territories to see what is
needed. Many of them presented their offers to see what they can
take forward,” he added.
Prospects for SOCAR's participation in Israel's energy
market
Israel hopes that in the future, Azerbaijan's state oil company
SOCAR will be part of its energy industry, said the ambassador.
“The first aspect of energy cooperation is the import of oil
from Azerbaijan. That is ongoing, we import one third of our oil
from Azerbaijan. We will continue further in the future. The second
area of cooperation is consultation. Azerbaijan's state oil company
SOCAR has vast experience in the oil and gas industry, while we're
very young in this sphere. We can learn a lot from the expertise
and the know how that companies like SOCAR in the world have,” he
noted.
The envoy recalled that SOCAR had several delegations to Israel
over the years and there have been several delegations from Israel
to Azerbaijan on this field over the years.
“This is something that we will be more than happy to continue.
SOCAR itself was part of an exploration in Israel several years
ago, which didn't turn out to be fruitful. But this is the nature
of exploration, sometimes you find, sometimes you don't find. We
hope that in the future, SOCAR will be active in Israel and will be
part of its growing energy industry,” added Deek.
Cooperation in fighting climate change
Israel and Azerbaijan may cooperate in reducing global warming
and fighting climate change, said George Deek.
“We've just seen COP26 in Glasgow, where leaders from all over
the world, including Israeli prime minister were taking part. We're
extremely committed to fighting the climate change that is causing
the fact that we have years of droughts and suddenly years of
floods in Israel. In Shah Dagh in Azerbaijan it is almost 10
degrees. Icebergs are melting, hot places are becoming unlivable.
We believe that we have a lot to contribute also in that front,”
said the envoy.
Deek pointed out that Israel is the only country in the world
that has more trees today that it had a hundred years ago.
“Israel is the only country that is putting water into its
reservoirs, into the lakes, instead of taking water from there to
make them alive and to fill them by desalination for example. We
have a lot to contribute and we think that together with Azerbaijan
we can do good not just for the two countries, but for the world,”
he added.
Work of the Israel-Azerbaijan joint
commission
The next meeting of the Israel-Azerbaijan joint commission is
expected to be held in Baku in the next three months, said the
ambassador.
“The joint commission between Israel and Azerbaijan has convened
the last time online last year. We are planning to hold a
commission meeting in Baku this year, probably sometime in the next
three months. This will be the first time that the joint commission
is convening in Azerbaijan. The co-chair of the commission from
Israel, the minister of tourism Yoel Razvozov will visit Azerbaijan
for this event. He will come with a delegation. It is also planned
to hold a business forum,” added the envoy.
George Deek recalled the visit of Azerbaijan's minister of
agriculture to Israel in November 2021.
“He also come with a business delegation. That was a very
fruitful visit with a lot of good outcomes in research, in opening
production lines for Israeli companies in Azerbaijan and for
cooperation in training of Azerbaijani farmers by Israeli
technology and know how both in Israel and Azerbaijan,” said the
diplomat.
He announced that on Feb.24 it is planned to launch a
demonstration farm in cooperation with the University of Ganja and
the USAID in Azerbaijan's Ganja city to show how to grow
orchards.
“Together we're going to create a place where Azerbaijani
farmers can come and learn the best practices on how to work in the
field of orchards. Companies from Israel like Netafim are opening
demonstration farms in Azerbaijan now together with the ministry of
agriculture for best practice on irrigation. This is where you will
learn our experience on how to use the latest expertise to grow
more food using less water, less effort and less time. We're
looking forward for the visit of the minister of tourism Yoel
Razvozov to Azerbaijan. We're hoping that until then one more
minister from Azerbaijan will visit Israel,” said George Deek.
Tourism relations
Azerbaijan's Tourism Representative Office in Israel is working
to increase the number and diversity of tourists from Israel to
Azerbaijan, George Deek said.
“I think there is a huge potential in the sphere of tourism. If
we look at the numbers before COVID-19, in 2016 there were 10,000
tourists, in 2019 we had 50,000 tourists from Israel coming to
Azerbaijan. There is no reason why by now this number would have
doubled if not for COVID-19. COVID-19 is the real murderer of
tourism across the world. In Israel we're suffering from the lack
of tourists comparing to the past. Also, in Azerbaijan you have the
same problem. It is a global problem, not a local one. We have to
see how we're fighting this pandemic to move to the post-COVID
stage, where tourism can revive,” he said.
Deek noted that even as the pandemic is still going, there are
still direct flights between Israel and Azerbaijan around once or
twice a week.
“That's a good sign, it means that there is a movement and I
believe that the Tourism Representative Office in Israel which was
opened lately, will be able to work with the Israeli audience to
increase and diversify the number of tourists coming to Azerbaijan.
Not everyone is Israel is aware that Azerbaijan has ski sites. Why
not to do winter tourism? Why are all the tourists coming in the
summer? That's one example. The youth are not visiting Azerbaijan
enough. Mostly families and adults are coming from Israel to
Azerbaijan. So why not to talk to the youth. This is what the
Tourism board is doing right now in Israel to try to broaden both
the number and the diversity of the target audience for tourism to
Azerbaijan,” added the envoy.
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