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Pundit: Israel has long seen Azerbaijan as a strategic partner

Vladimir Mesamed

The opening of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Israel will take bilateral relations to a whole new level, a fellow of the Institute of Asian and African Studies of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, an expert in Iranian studies Vladimir Mesamed told STMEGI.

Noting the importance of the past year in Azerbaijani-Israeli relations, the pundit emphasized the significance of this event since Israel has long seen Azerbaijan as its strategic partner.

“There is no need for any proof. We need each other, we develop by supporting each other. I do believe that this is a crucial moment for the development of our good neighborliness and partnership. If we look at the post-Soviet space, Azerbaijan has long taken the first place in terms of the volume, the intensity of our ties, and the dynamism of the development of relations, and this place is indisputable,” he said.

The expert noted that the opening of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Israel indicates that everything goes as it is meant to go. He said that this was highly appreciated in Israel. In particular, former Prime Minister Yair Lapid and all the ministers of the Israeli government reacted positively to this.

“Moreover, we know that relations with Baku have always developed well. For instance, Azerbaijan was visited by late President Shimon Peres and current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. During Netanyahu’s visit to Baku, an important agreement was signed, which further expanded cooperation in the fields of security and defense,” he added.

Prior to the decision to open the Azerbaijani Embassy in Israel, Azerbaijan opened tourist and trade representative offices, which are successfully functioning. The expert noted that the Azerbaijani Embassy in Israel will also begin to function within a year. Currently, construction is underway. “I am convinced that with the opening of the embassy, bilateral relations will undergo certain changes, and be brought to a completely different level,” Mesamed noted.

The Israeli political scientist said that there is good potential for cooperation in almost all spheres.

“To be honest, our relationships were growing in so many directions that it would be difficult to add anything. This includes high-tech, tourism, agriculture, security, etc. There are too many areas. Azerbaijan helps Israel with oil supplies, and Israel with arms supplies,” he said.

“Although the situation in the world does not contribute to the dynamics of the relations, this year we still expect new contracts, agreements, and memorandums of understanding. There are a lot of things that prevent this. But we believe that they will not slow down the process of rapprochement between our countries,” the expert concluded.

About Fidan Abdullayeva