Azerbaijan-Israel ties appraised
By Amina Nazarli
Azerbaijani Ambassador to the United States Elin Suleymanov has addressed the annual American Jewish Press Association (AJPA) conference.
The Washington-based American Jewish Press Association founded in 1944 unites the English-language Jewish media in North America.
The event was attended by the representatives of the leading Jewish community organizations, and member organizations of AJPA from various parts of the country, AzerTag state news agency reported.
AJPA President Marshall Weiss, who delivered the opening speech, talked about the strong ties between Azerbaijan and Israel as well as the thriving Jewish community in Azerbaijan.
Taking the stage next, Suleymanov spoke about the history of bilateral Azerbaijani-Israeli relations, the significance of the strategic partnership between the two countries, and the long-lasting contribution of the Jewish community of Azerbaijan in development of the relations between Azerbaijan and Israel.
He noted that Jews have historically lived in Azerbaijan, a majority Muslim state, experiencing no prejudice, intolerance and insecurity.
He underlined the fact that during the Nagorno-Karabakh war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Jews fought alongside their Azerbaijani peers which will never be forgotten by Azerbaijani people.
“Azerbaijan delivers as much as 40 percent of Israil’s supply of oil,” he said noting the importance of continuation of visits of high-ranking officials in the future.
He reminded the audience of the visits of Israel’s President, Foreign Relations and Defense ministers in the recent past.
The ambassador said that the ethnic and religious diversity is a national resource of Azerbaijan and tolerance in the country is endorsed by its leadership, making it a viable platform for interfaith and intercultural dialog.
The Azerbaijani and Jewish peoples have a long tradition of tolerance and interaction. Estimated 9,000 Jews in the country are "fully part" of Azerbaijani society.
Several synagogues are operating in the capital of Azerbaijan, as well as in Guba and Oguz regions. Synagogue, opened in Baku in 2003 is one of the largest in Europe. In September 2003, the first Jewish school was opened in Baku.
Israel recognized the independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan very shortly after the official dissolution of the Soviet Union. Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Israel were established in April 1992.
The strategic relationship included cooperation in trade and security matters, cultural and educational exchanges
Azerbaijan and Israel are focusing on many areas, and the four areas that relevant are telecommunications, agriculture, water supply and medical technologies.