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Azerbaijan, Israel's Top Strategic Partner in the Muslim World

(EU Reporter) Giacomo Fracassi - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev at last month's World Economic Forum in Davos. "The Azerbaijani-Israeli strategic partnership...encompasses many different areas, like energy, security, defense, agriculture, trade, but it is also mostly characterized by the human factor, with a vibrant Jewish community in Azerbaijan," said Hikmat Hajiyev, spokesperson of the Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Jewish community of Azerbaijan, with around 30,000 people, is an example of how in a secular country with a majority Muslim Shia population that borders Iran, all faith communities are able to live in harmony and mutual respect. Israel buys oil from Azerbaijan through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (Turkey) pipeline, while Azerbaijan is interested in Israel's technology, science, and medical know-how and is importing defense-related equipment. When asked about his country's position on labeling Israeli settlement products, Hajyev replied, "This is not an issue for us. Our view is not different from the mainstream view of Israel's society and Israel's government. We have no problem with importing such products in Azerbaijan."
2016-02-09 00:00:00
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