Israel welcomes Azerbaijan’s decision to open embassy in Tel Aviv

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israel on Wednesday hailed Azerbaijan’s decision to open its embassy in Tel Aviv, after 30 years of diplomatic relations between the two sides.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen met with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov in West Jerusalem before the opening ceremony on Wednesday.

“I am pleased to host the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Bayramov Jeyhun on the occasion of the opening of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Israel, which is an important occasion for our two countries and peoples,” Cohen said in a joint press conference.

“Azerbaijan is a strategic partner of Israel, as we cooperate closely on a very large number of issues, including regional security, energy and tourism,” he added.

For his part, Bayramov stated: "Israel was one of the first countries to recognize the independence of Azerbaijan. During the past thirty years, relations between the two countries were strong on the basis of dialogue and mutual understanding.”

“We discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation, which has promising opportunities," Bayramov added. “114 Israeli companies operate in Azerbaijan, while there have been direct flights between the two countries since 1993.”

The official expressed his appreciation for “Israel's support for Azerbaijan's sovereignty and its geographical unity over the nearly 30 years of Armenian occupation.”

Israel and Azerbaijan have had relations for 30 years, and there has been an Israeli Embassy in Baku since 1993.

* Ikram Kouachi contributed to this report