Interview with Fred Dallmayr, who is Packey J. Dee Professor in the departments of philosophy and political science at University of Notre Dame.
Q: Azerbaijan, a Muslim country, accepted European integration as a priority of its foreign policy. But is the European community ready to accept Azerbaijan?
A: Why would Azerbaijan, a Muslim country, make European integration a priority of foreign policy? Is Azerbaijan located geographical in Europe or even close to it? If Turkey has difficulty being accepted into the European community (EU), the difficulties will be infinitely greater in the case of Azerbaijan.
I do not see Azerbaijan in either the EU or NATO in the foreseeable future.
Q: Is it possible to go successfully towards European and Euro-Atlantic integration having such neighbors as Russia and Iran?
A: I have already commented on EU membership. But why joining NATO? Is Azerbaijan located on the North Atlantic? NATO is a military organization initially created as a defense mechanism against the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union does no longer exist. So why still join NATO? In my view, it would be much better for Azerbaijan to cultivate good neighborly relations with its direct neighbors, Russia and Iran. By cultivating such good relations, the people of Azerbaijan will be safe and prosperous.
Q: Do you see Azerbaijan in EU and NATO in the future?
A: Azerbaijan's attempt to join the EU and NATO is bound to alienate or irritate both Russia and Iran. This cannot be good for peace.
Q: Is it a right opinion that good relations between Azerbaijan and Russia would prevent a new Russian military invasion in the South Caucasus (as it was in August 2008) if it be a new war between Azerbaijan and Armenia?
A: Good relations between Azerbaijan and Russia would indeed make a Russian military intervention less likely. Hostile relations will make military invasion or intervention more likely.
Q: Is the Karabakh problem already well-known in the West or there is a need of additional efforts to make international community to get involved in the settlement process and achieve a longstanding peace?
A: The Karabakh problem is not sufficiently known in the West. Additional efforts should be make to make the international community aware of the problem.
Fred Dallmayr, is Packey J. Dee Professor in the departments of philosophy and political science at the University of Notre Dame. He holds a Doctor of Law degree from the University of Munich (1955) and a Ph.D. in political science from Duke University (1960). He is past president of the Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy (SACP). He is also a member of the International Coordinating Committee of "World Public Forum - Dialogue of Civilizations", and of the Scientific Committee of "RESET - Dialogue on Civilizations".
Aliyah Fridman
News.Az
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