(MENAFN- AzerNews) 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.
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Tags: i̇srael azerbaijan relations