Azerbaijani envoy: Tel Aviv sees Baku as reliable partner

Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to US Khazar Ibrahim has said that Tel Aviv sees Baku as a reliable partner.

He made the remarks at a meeting with international experts organised by the Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post, which he joined as an honorary guest, Report informs.

"Over the past period, numerous documents have been signed between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the State of Israel on cooperation in various fields, including water management, agriculture, infrastructure, technology, and energy. With the opening of the embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the State of Israel on March 29, diplomatic relations deepened. Official Tel Aviv sees Baku as a reliable partner. Israeli President Ishaq Herzog’s recent visit to Azerbaijan at the invitation of President Ilham Aliyev was a manifestation of friendly and fraternal relations between the leaders of both countries," Ibrahim stated.

He described Israel as one of Azerbaijan's close friends and partners and touched on the long history of friendly relations between the two countries’ peoples.

"These ties are based not only on economic and strategic benefits but also on traditional historical and cultural values. Azerbaijan is one of the countries where Jews have gotten along the most. For centuries, the Jewish community living in Azerbaijan considers itself an integral part of this people, and society, and actively participates in all spheres of the country's life," the ambassador said.

He added that both countries are responsible international actors in their regions. Ibrahim noted that Azerbaijan currently supplies energy not only to Israel but also to the European Union.

"According to calculations, Azerbaijan can double its natural gas exports by 2027. At the same time, Azerbaijan is working on renewable energy, which includes investments in wind and solar energy. Azerbaijan is preparing to lay an underwater power transmission cable that will run from the territory of Georgia along the bottom of the Black Sea to Romania and Hungary," the ambassador said.

To recap, the conference dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the State of Israel was attended by senior US officials, congressmen, ambassadors and diplomats from various countries in the United States, Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat, Innovation, Science and Technology Minister Ofir Akunis, representatives of international companies working in various fields, and leading American media.

On the sidelines of the conference, Ibrahim also met Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat, head of the Israeli company Nofar Energy, working in the field of renewable energy, Ofer Yannai and Executive Director of US News & World Report (USNWR) Eric J. Gertler.

Azerbaijan’s embassy was officially inaugurated in Israel on March 29.

The opening ceremony was attended by the two countries' foreign ministers Jeyhun Bayramov and Eli Cohen, as well as MPs, members of the general public and artists.

On November 26, 2022, President Ilham Aliyev issued an order to establish the Azerbaijani embassy in Israel, signalling another important step forward in the diplomatic relations between the two countries. On January 11, the president appointed Mukhtar Mammadov as the first Azerbaijani ambassador to Israel, marking another significant milestone in the bilateral relationship between the Muslim-majority nation and the Jewish state.

Israel is an important exporter of arms to Azerbaijan: according to research by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Israel accounted for 27 per cent of Azerbaijan’s major arms imports from 2011 to 2020 and from 2016 to 2020, Israel accounted for 69 per cent of Azerbaijan’s major arms imports.