Ambassador Deek hails Azerbaijani presidential aide's Israel visit as "productive", indicating strengthening of ties

Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan, George Deek, has expressed strong support for the recent visit of the Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev, to Israel, calling it a "productive" trip that signals continued progress in bilateral relations.

"We are very pleased with the visit of Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev, who was recently in Israel. This was a very productive visit. He met with our president, the foreign minister, and other officials. We see it as an important signal for the development of our relationship," Deek stated in an interview with AnewZ TV channel, according to Caliber.Az.

The ambassador emphasized that the strong ties between Israel and Azerbaijan are rooted in a historical friendship between their peoples.

"Relations between our countries have always been strong, as they are based on a solid foundation of friendship between the peoples. Even before the modern Azerbaijani state was established and before the State of Israel came into being, there was a long history of friendship between Jews and Azerbaijanis living here, making this place a truly unique model not only in the region but also globally. Jews have lived here for at least 800 years, perhaps even longer, and there has never been a single case of antisemitism, persecution, or pogroms, unlike in nearby Iran," he added.

The Ambassador highlighted Azerbaijan’s approach to religious minorities, particularly Jews. "It’s remarkable, and I believe Azerbaijan can be proud of its treatment of religious minorities in general and Jews in particular," Deek said.

He also noted the friendship between the nations has enabled Azerbaijan and Israel to build strong relations, which are developing in various directions.

"A large portion of our oil comes from Azerbaijan. As you know, Azerbaijani company SOCAR is about to announce a tender for gas exploration in Israel. Our countries also collaborate on security and the joint fight against terrorism. We’re seeing increasing cooperation in people-to-people relations, business, and culture," he added.

The ambassador further noted that a key development in Azerbaijan-Israel relations was the opening of Azerbaijan’s embassy in Israel.

“I believe that the opening of the Azerbaijani embassy in Israel in March of last year has really created a base for Azerbaijan to export goods and to introduce Azerbaijani culture to the Israeli people and to try to build bridges between our countries. We should not forget that there are 880,000 people living in Israel who have ties here, families or have lived here in the past, emigrated. So there is a very strong bridge between our nations, and now we are working on bridges in the business and cultural sphere, and I think direct flights and tourism are the main factors,” he added.

Deek also praised Azerbaijan’s national airline, AZAL, for resuming direct flights to Israel starting on November 30. "I congratulate AZAL on this decision. It is a very positive sign for strengthening relations between our countries. InshAllah, within 12 months, we will be in an even better position, further strengthening our strategic relations and people-to-people connections," he concluded.

By Khagan Isayev