Azerbaijan president welcomes Herzog to Baku, lauds defense cooperation

In his public remarks after meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev in Baku, President Isaac Herzog says the two discussed in depth “the entire global and regional security structure that is endangered and threatened by Iran.”

“Visiting Azerbaijan is a dream come true for me and for my nation,” says Herzog, speaking in English.

Aliyev says the March opening of Azerbaijan’s embassy in Tel Aviv creates “more opportunities to have a closer interaction.”

Aliyev lauds the defense cooperation between the countries, saying that Baku “has access to modern Israeli equipment in this area for many years, which helps us to modernize our defense capability, and to be able to protect our statehood, our values, our national interest, and our territorial integrity.”

Aliyev expresses his interest in seeing more diverse trade between the two countries, moving beyond oil. He points at cybersecurity as a field in which bilateral cooperation is growing. They discussed the potential for energy cooperation in other countries, says the Azerbaijani president. They also discuss Baku’s key role as an energy supplier.

Herzog invites Aliyev to visit Israel.