(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 15. Israeli businessmenare showing keen interest in collaborating with Azerbaijan acrossall sectors, Elina Bardach-Yalov, Research Fellow at HadassahAcademic College and Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, toldTrend in anexclusive interview.
"Every Israeli businessperson I've spoken to across variousindustries, from high-tech to healthcare, is eager to explorepartnerships with Azerbaijani counterparts. What's more, thoseaware of my recent trip to Azerbaijan for a conference have beenasking me to scope out opportunities in specific fields. I canconfirm that there's a common interest in expanding operations, beit in cutting-edge technology or the medical sector, and everyoneis eyeing the Azerbaijani market," she shared.
According to her, Israeli companies face stiff competition inAzerbaijan. "Major Israeli players have been successfully operatinghere for years. I'm aware of companies with longstanding presence,like Aeronautics, specializing in unmanned aerial vehicles."
Discussing potential collaboration areas between Baku and TelAviv, she highlighted agriculture, ICT, and medicine asparticularly attractive to Israeli entrepreneurs.
"I've personally participated in talks on agriculturaldevelopment, including in Karabakh. We've explored cultivation andirrigation strategies for arid and mountainous regions. Israel's ITsector is also keen on tapping into the Azerbaijani market. ManyIsraeli IT firms I've engaged with are eager to enter Azerbaijanand integrate Azerbaijani partners into the Israeli market. Waterresource discussions have also been abundant, with high interest inprojects across Azerbaijan, including Karabakh. Major renovationsare underway there, presenting opportunities for Israeli firms. So,these sectors are drawing interest from both public and privatesectors," she explained.
"Israeli companies are particularly eager to collaborate inhealthcare. Numerous hospitals are interested not only in medicalequipment but also in training Azerbaijani students. Azerbaijan,too, is keen on this, given our advanced tech and skilledworkforce. We're actively attracting doctors from other countriesdue to staff shortages, generating interest from both Israeli andAzerbaijani sides," she added.
Elina Bardach-Yalov emphasized the significance of theAzerbaijani Embassy's opening in Tel Aviv for bilateralrelations.
"As former head of the Israel-Azerbaijan friendship group, I canattest to our thriving relations. I recall negotiations withAzerbaijan regarding the embassy opening, which was a landmarkevent for Israel and underscored Azerbaijan's strategic importance spurred Israel to intensify bilateral talks with Baku I've attended have seen active participation frombusinessmen on both sides, driving cooperation and acceleratingbilateral ties," she noted.
"In recent times, we've faced challenges with air travel due tocompanies exiting and re-entering the market. Despite this, myrecent flight with an Azerbaijani airline was seamless,highlighting a positive moment in our relations," she shared.
In conclusion, Elina Bardach-Yalov stressed the importance ofongoing negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia on borderdelimitation.
"We trust Azerbaijan's judgment in its actions and stand by itas a crucial ally in the region. Given our shared interests,Azerbaijan is not just a friend but a vital geopolitical ally, andwe fully support it," she affirmed.
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