By Burc Eruygur
ISTANBUL (AA) - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday said his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog’s visit to the country will give a “great impetus” to the development of bilateral ties, ahead of an expanded meeting in the capital Baku.
“We just had a very good discussion with Mr. President (Herzog) on our bilateral agenda and regional issues. I am sure that a wide range of issues will be discussed at the meeting with the participation of the delegations,” Aliyev said, according to a statement by the Azerbaijani presidency.
There is “great potential” in Azerbaijan-Israeli relations, Aliyev noted, saying they have already worked extensively in areas such as trade, energy, and security.
“We consider your visit to Azerbaijan to be a historic visit,” he added.
For his part, Herzog, who arrived in Baku earlier in the day, expressed his satisfaction to be in Azerbaijan, saying he and his delegation came “with an open heart and great friendship" between the two nations.
“The partnership between Israel and Azerbaijan is the foundation of many areas that you have mentioned and that we have discussed. I think it sends a message to our nations on many levels,” Herzog said.
Describing the Azerbaijan-Israel partnership as a "strategic relationship," Herzog said it is "influencing the entire region in terms of peace, prosperity, and development."
Aliyev and Herzog later attended a ceremony on the signing of a memorandum on cooperation between the health ministries of the countries “in the fields of health and medical science for 2023-2028."
Israel and Azerbaijan have had relations for 30 years, and Israel has an embassy in Baku since 1993. In March, Azerbaijan also opened an embassy in Tel Aviv.