TODAY.AZ / Business

Azerbaijan, Israel: between economic cooperation and multiculturalism

20 April 2017 [15:14] - TODAY.AZ

By  Trend


The deep relationship of friendship and cooperation binds Israel and Azerbaijan, wrote Giorgia Pilar Giorgi and Domenico Letizia in the article published by the Foreign policy news.

Giorgia Pilar Giorgi is an analyst and researcher in energy security issues and unresolved conflicts in South Caucasus. Domenico Letizia is the President of Associazione “Amici dell’Azerbaigian Centro Sud Italia”.

“Azerbaijan is known to be an example of peaceful coexistence between people of different nationalities and religions. The Azerbaijani government has always promoted coexistence between people from different religious groups and the freedom, also recognized at constitutional level, to profess their beliefs,” says the article.

As Muslim-majority country (approximately 96.9 percent), Azerbaijan has historically hosted one of the oldest Christian community and today it survives peacefully alongside a prolific Jewish community, noted the authors.

Azerbaijan has over time become synonymous with acceptance and tolerance, mutual respect between people who embrace different faiths, according to the article.

This peaceful attitude is revealed by the profitable relationship that binds the country to Israel, says the article.

“Azerbaijan is one of the few Muslim countries that maintain both economic and religious relations with Israel. In Azerbaijan Jews are recognized to be an active part of the society,” says the article. “In December 2016, a meeting between the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev sealed the historic relationship between the Muslim-majority country and the Jewish state. In this circumstance Netanyahu showed his gratitude to the Azerbaijani government for the tolerance towards the Jewish community living in Azerbaijan.”

In recent years, relations between Azerbaijan and Israel have given many advantages for both countries, noted the authors, adding that this also concern the energy, medical, agricultural and technological sector.

“Today Israel represents the second importer after Italy of Azerbaijani oil,” says the article, “moreover, Israel participates in the economic diversification efforts promoted by the Azerbaijani government to reduce the vulnerability of oil market.”

The two countries signed many agreements on trade and economic cooperation, according to the article.

“The relationship between Azerbaijan and Israel is a successful mix of economy, diplomacy and gratitude, a handshake that holds interests too big to be neglected. The recent developments in the economic and diplomatic relationship between the two countries represent the natural evolution of a dialogue which, already at the end of the 1990s appeared as promising,” said the authors.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/business/160410.html

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