Outgoing ambassador: New Israeli envoy to prioritise economic ties with Azerbaijan

Strengthening trade and economic cooperation will be a key priority for Israel’s incoming Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Ronen Kraus, outgoing Ambassador George Deek said at his final press briefing before concluding his diplomatic mission in Baku on July 25.

The outgoing ambassador noted that over the past six years, Israel and Azerbaijan have significantly advanced their bilateral relations, describing the relationship as “deeply diversified,” highlighting its evolution beyond strategic sectors such as energy and security to include increasingly dynamic business ties, Caliber.Az reports via local media. 

“The opening of Azerbaijan’s embassy in Tel Aviv in 2023 was an important milestone and a major achievement for relations between the two countries,” he said.

Looking ahead, Deek said his successor, incoming Ambassador Ronen Kraus, will focus on strengthening trade and economic cooperation.

“I think that $243 million in bilateral trade, excluding oil, is not enough, even though it’s twice the figure from 2021. This number should be multiplied by five or six times for us to truly reach a normal level,” he noted.

Deek also voiced optimism about greater involvement of Israeli companies in Azerbaijan, particularly in large-scale reconstruction and development projects in the Karabakh region.

Appointed in 2018, George Deek made history as Israel’s first Arab Christian ambassador. His posting reflected Israel’s growing commitment to inclusive diplomacy and regional engagement.

Born in Jaffa in 1984 to an Eastern Orthodox Arab Christian family, Deek is a Fulbright scholar who studied law at the Interdisciplinary Centre Herzliya (now Reichman University) and Georgetown University. He joined Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2008 and previously served in Nigeria and Norway.

During his six-year tenure in Azerbaijan, Deek played a key role in enhancing cooperation between the two countries across sectors such as trade, defence, energy, agriculture, and technology.

By Sabina Mammadli