President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev today (Saturday) approved the law passed by the parliament in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, eight days ago to open an embassy in Tel Aviv.
Israel and Azerbaijan did indeed celebrate 30 years of diplomatic relations this year, and Baku even established chambers of commerce and tourism in the country last year – but it avoided establishing an embassy in Tel Aviv for two significant reasons for it: first and foremost, avoiding growing tensions with Iran, as well as a desire to align with the sister country – Turkey. The close friendship with Turkey is also the reason why, within the framework of the approved bill, it was also determined that an Azerbaijani representative office would be opened in Ramallah, which would have faith in relations with the Palestinian Authority.
The expected Azerbaijani step is being carried out in the shadow of growing tensions between Baku and Iran, against the background of the growing protest against the Ayatollah regime, centered on the largest minority in Iran – the Azerbaijanis. In fact, the number of Azerbaijanis in Iran, 15 million, is greater than their number in the Republic of Azerbaijan, which is located north of them.
At the same time, the opening of the Azerbaijani embassy is a counter-step to Iran’s decision to open a general consulate specifically in the northern region known as Syunik, by the Armenians, and Zangzor by the Turkic peoples. Syunik is a district in southern Armenia, where Azerbaijan aspires to establish the “Zangzor Corridor” – a road that will allow a territorial-transportation continuity between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the enclave it owns between Armenia and Turkey – the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan. As of today, Yerban and Baku have not yet reached an agreement that would allow its implementation. Despite all this, the infrastructure development plans in the Karabakh provinces, in western Azerbaijan, are designed so that eventually, the construction of the corridor will be realized.
The main source of oil for the State of Israel
On an economic level, the opening of the Azerbaijani embassy in Israel will be a particularly significant catalyst, since this is Israel’s main supplier of oil, which comes mainly through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline – and from there in tankers to Haifa. According to Baku data, between the months of January and October this year, Azerbaijan exported 21.9 million tons of oil, out of the 27.2 million tons it produced. All of last year, Azerbaijan exported 27.1 million tons of oil with a total value of $13.2 billion, with the main destinations being Italy, Israel, Croatia, Germany and Portugal.
The energy sector forms the basis for the development of economic relations between the countries over the past 30 years. About two weeks ago, for example, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Israeli company IDE Technologies, which is owned by Delek Group, and the investment company of Azerbaijan OJSC, for the construction of a desalination facility near the Caspian Sea. Against the background of the significant developments in Azerbaijan-Israel relations, Israel’s ambassador in Baku, George Dick, was announced about a week and a half ago as one of the two foreign ministry honorees.
In general, Azerbaijan’s regional position is getting stronger due to two aspects: its ability to help the European energy crisis, thanks to the existing oil and gas pipeline to the continent through Turkey, and thanks to its strategic location in the South Caucasus. Kazakhstan, for example, will begin next year to export 1.5 million tons of oil in tankers that will cross the Caspian Sea, arrive at the port of Baku – and from there they will be exported through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, as part of a collaboration between the Azerbaijani oil giant “Sukar” and its Kazakh counterpart. Kazmunigs” (KMG).
“We are conducting negotiations because KMG and Sokar signed a five-year agreement under which 1.5 million tons of oil will be exported through the Baku (Azerbaijan)-Tbilisi (Georgia)-Ceyhan (Turkey) pipeline,” Kazmunigs vice-chairman told the subjects Economic, Dauren Karabayev. According to him, “We are looking at which companies will export this amount of oil from Kazakhstan next year. After that, an increase in the rate of oil exports is expected, because Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are interested in it.” Earlier, the Kazakh Minister of Energy, Bulat Akchulkov, said that Kazakhstan plans to export 6.5-6 million tons of oil through Azerbaijan in the future.
Lapid: “Azerbaijan is an important partner”
In response to the Azerbaijani parliament’s decision to open an embassy in Israel, Prime Minister Yair Lapid said about a week ago: “I welcome the decision of the Azerbaijani parliament to open an embassy in Israel. 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 relations between the countries. This move is the fruit of the Israeli government’s efforts to build solid political bridges with the Muslim world. 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.”
Roman Gurevich, born in Baku and honorary ambassador of the Jewish Agency in Azerbaijan, said in response to the opening of the embassy in Israel: “The opening of the embassy is an important step for the State of Israel and the Republic of Azerbaijan. It is a strengthening of the strategic and important alliance between Israel and Azerbaijan and the continuation of warm relations between The Azeri people to the Jewish people. As a native of Azerbaijan, it is important for me to point out that in this country there has never been anti-Semitism and for generations and hundreds of years, there have been relations of respect and friendship between Azeri and the Jewish community.”