“The anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Israel is a great opportunity to express our satisfaction with bilateral relations between our countries and cooperation in the political, economic, cultural and many other areas. This event is especially expensive for me, since the ex-president of Israel, my father Him Duke was at the head of the state, when our relations resumed.” This was written in President of Israel Itzhak Duke’s letter addressed to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

Duke expressed the hope that this significant date he witnesses the opening of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Israel.

“This will happen after the opening of a trade and tourist representation will be a natural step and confirmation of close, strategic ties between our countries. Taking this opportunity, I would like to invite you to visit Israel to share in the opening of the Azerbaijani Embassy next year,” wrote the Israeli President.

In turn, the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said that “relations with Israel are based on the traditions of close friendship and mutual respect historically established between our peoples.”

“Over the past 30 years, our cooperation in the political, economic, military technical, medical, cultural and other fields, representing mutual interest, developed on the uplink, friendly connections have further strengthened,” says President of Azerbaijan’s congratulatory message on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Israel.

"Its contribution to strengthening our interstate relations, a Jewish community, for centuries living in Azerbaijan, in the conditions of kindness, peace, and harmony, as well as our compatriots of Jewish origin living both in Israel and other countries of the world," flagged the Azerbaijani president.

"I believe that by utilising the available opportunities in the name of our peoples' well-being and greater sympathy for one another, we will be able to achieve even more deepening our traditional friendly connections, fruitful cooperation," added Aliyev.

Earlier, Azerbaijan and Israel inked a tourist cooperation agreement, according to Azerbaijani State Tourism Agency Chairman Fuad Naghiyev. "With our Israeli colleague Yoel Razvozov, we inked an agreement on tourist cooperation. This arrangement, I believe, will help to the growth and strengthening of bilateral tourist links," Naghiyev wrote on Twitter.