Israeli President Visits Azerbaijan

| News, Politics, Azerbaijan
Source: president.az
Source: president.az

On May 30, an official welcome ceremony was held for Isaac Herzog, the President of Israel, who arrived in Azerbaijan for an official visit, the Press Office of the Azerbaijani President reported.

On the same day, Ilham Aliyev held a one-on-one meeting with Isaac Herzog. The sides expressed satisfaction with developing bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Israel in various fields, emphasizing that President Isaac Herzog's visit to Azerbaijan would contribute to expanding relations between the two countries. 

Later, Aliyev held an expanded meeting with Herzog.

At the meeting, Aliyev said: "I'm absolutely sure that there's a great potential though we did a lot already - on different tracks including trade, energy, security, but a lot is to be done. We consider your visit to Azerbaijan historical; thank you for accepting my invitation."

After the meetings, the two countries' health ministers signed "The plan of cooperation for 2023-2028 in health and medical science fields between the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Ministry of Health of the State of Israel."

On May 30, Aliyev and Herzog made statements to the press.

Aliyev said: "Looking at some economic figures, I saw that our trade turnover exceeds 1.7 billion US dollars, which is a huge amount. However, I think that in the coming years, we should try to diversify our trade turnover, and I hope that with the joint projects we plan to implement as a result, we will have a more balanced trade cycle, and it will not depend only on the energy factor. Nevertheless, for many years, Azerbaijan has continued to be a reliable crude oil supplier to Israel, demonstrating close cooperation in the energy field."

"During the discussions today, we also discussed the issue of how to expand cooperation in the energy field. We see great opportunities for investment projects, the creation of interconnectors, and potential cooperation projects in third countries. We also discussed our plans and the work already done in irrigation and agriculture. We are aware of Israel's great achievements in this field, and we want to use this positive experience to increase productivity in agriculture and diversify our export market," he added.

Aliyev emphasized, "One of the fields in which we have started cooperation relatively recently is the field of cyber security. We are very happy to start active contacts in this field. Today it is no longer a secret that cyber security is an important part of the national security of every country. Of course, the great experience of Israeli companies in this field will be beneficial for us. Also, training and educating the younger generation will be an important factor in achieving our goals and protecting ourselves from danger."

Ishak Herzog stated, "We have a common vision; I see Azerbaijan has a great influence in the world and the region. You told me about the influence of Azerbaijan on the energy sector of Europe, the region in general, Asia, and of course, the Middle East, which is related to us. We looked at the global, regional security structure; we discussed this issue in depth. Of course, we look forward to opportunities to develop cooperation in science, agriculture, and many areas you mentioned in your opening speech, Mr. President."

According to the Jerusalem Post, Isaac Herzog and Ilham Aliyev also held in-depth discussions of the Iranian threat, with Herzog flanked by greater levels of security than usual, amid concerns that Tehran would attempt to disrupt the visit.

“We look at the regional security structure that is threatened by Iran - a topic that we discussed in depth,” Herzog said following his meeting with Aliyev, “and we expect to develop cooperation between us in many fields.” 

Read also:

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