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Azerbaijan approves opening of embassy in Israel
November 18, 2022
This will be the first embassy in Israel of a Shiite-majority state
The Azerbaijani parliament on Friday approved a historic motion proposing to open an embassy in Israel.
Israel has an embassy in Baku, with Azerbaijan opening a trade office in Tel Aviv in 2021, and a tourism office earlier this year.
Last month, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz visited Azerbaijan and met with President Ilham Aliyev.
The embassy in Tel Aviv will be the first embassy in Israel of a country with a Shiite majority and a Shiite government.
"I welcome the decision by the National Assembly of Azerbaijan to open an embassy in Israel," said Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid.
"Azerbaijan is an important partner of Israel and home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the Muslim world. The decision to open an embassy reflects the depth of the relationship between our countries. This move is the result of the Israeli government's efforts to build strong diplomatic bridges with the Muslim world," Lapid added.
"I want to thank President Ilham Aliyev and congratulate the Azeri people who will now be represented for the first time in the State of Israel."
In the same session on Friday, the parliament decided that Azerbaijan will also open a representative office in Ramallah, the capital of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.