IP - An interview with Baku's first-ever ambassador to Israel, Mukhtar Mammadov said that Israeli President Issac Herzog is slated to make an official visit to Baku at the end of the month

Iran PressMiddle East: Mammadov told "JNS" that the "landmark diplomatic move represents the apex of a three-decade-old, covert and overt relationship... which has blossomed from vast robust security and energy relationship.

“We are hopeful for the complete normalization of relations between Israel and Turkey,” he said, speaking just days before Turkey’s national elections.

At the same time, Mammadov said that he would like to see Israel and Azerbaijan’s top ally, Turkey, improve relations.

The decades of close relations are now set to move to the next stage, said Mammadov adding that "The opening of the embassy is a catalyst and instrument to make this relationship wider and deeper; We see a lot more opportunities on both sides."

He noted that Israeli President Issac Herzog is slated to make an official visit to Baku at the end of the month, becoming the second Israeli president to visit Azerbaijan after Shimon Peres’s trip nearly 15 years ago.

Herzog’s visit will come on the heels of last month’s visit to Baku by Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen.

About 50,000 Israelis visited Azerbaijan in 2019 before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, he said. There are currently nine direct flights a week (including six Azerbaijani and three Israeli carriers) with easy visa procedures— either online or on arrival in Baku—for Israeli visitors who wish to make the less than a three-hour trip.

Mukhtar Mammadov said that “Our relations with Iran are at their lowest level in our history,” adding that“We want stable relations with all our neighbors.”

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