EL AVIV – Mukhtar Mammadov, Azerbaijan’s newly-appointed ambassador to Israel, has quickly made his mark in his new role, displaying a level of familiarity and passion that belies his short time in office. In an interview with Jewish Insider, Mammadov, 40, who previously served as the deputy minister of science and education, spoke about his country’s ancient Jewish community and Azerbaijan’s longstanding alliance with Israel, which appears to be deepening due to strategic geopolitical factors.
Azerbaijan and Israel have had diplomatic ties for over 30 years, with Israel maintaining an embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, for decades. However, Mammadov’s appointment marks the first time Azerbaijan has dispatched its own envoy to the Jewish state, signifying an upgrade in bilateral relations.
The strengthening of ties between Azerbaijan and Israel is multifaceted and serves both countries’ strategic and economic interests. For Azerbaijan, which has been embroiled in a long-standing conflict with neighboring Armenia over the territory of Nagorno Karabakh, Israel has provided support on the world stage and has reportedly supplied billions of dollars’ worth of advanced weaponry. Additionally, Azerbaijan supplies Israel with a significant portion of its oil demand, with Mammadov stating that Azerbaijan aims to further expand trade and economic cooperation with Israel beyond oil, including in areas such as agriculture, technology, and economics.
The relationship between Azerbaijan and Israel has evolved over the years from an initial focus on oil and arms trading to a broader partnership, with Israeli private sector companies now involved in projects to rehabilitate the Nagorno-Karabakh region that Azerbaijan recaptured in a 2020 war. Currently, 144 Israeli companies are working on projects in Azerbaijan, which is an unprecedented number, according to Eldad Ben Aharon, a researcher at the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) and an expert on Israel-Azerbaijan relations. He noted that there has been bipartisan commitment from Israeli Prime Ministers, including Ehud Barak, Ariel Sharon, Ehud Olmert, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Naftali Bennett, to maintain the alliance with Azerbaijan due to its strategic importance for Israel’s security.
This week, Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen is scheduled to visit Azerbaijan with a large delegation of Israeli officials and business leaders as part of the Israel-Azerbaijan Joint Intergovernmental Commission. The visit is seen as an opportunity to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in various sectors, including economic trade, energy, transportation, high tech, agriculture, and education. Cohen is expected to meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, with discussions likely to cover not only economic cooperation but also regional matters, such as Iran’s pursuit of nuclear capabilities and its recent rapprochement with Saudi Arabia, as well as the ongoing tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Mammadov emphasized that the joint commission between Azerbaijan and Israel covers bilateral cooperation in various sectors and does not include international or regional matters with regard to other countries. He maintained that Azerbaijan strives for “good, friendly, and constructive” relations with all its neighbors, including Iran, where approximately 30 million ethnic Azeris live. However, he also highlighted recent tensions with Iran following a deadly shooting attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran earlier this year, which led to the evacuation of all embassy staff due to concerns about their safety. Azerbaijan has demanded that Iran fully investigate the incident and punish those responsible, but Mammadov stated that there have been no tangible results so far. Iran has accused Azerbaijan in the past of fomenting separatist sentiment within its territory and views Azerbaijan’s ties with Israel with suspicion.
