"Ankara Terrifies Them”; A Russian Agency Reveals the Reasons for Israel's Arming to Azerbaijan

The Russian agency “Sputnik” highlighted in detail on the relations between Azerbaijan and Israel since the beginning, and the most prominent of their commercial, political and economic dealings.

The Persian version of the agency stated in an article by Russian expert Vladimir Sazhin, “The relations between Azerbaijan and Israel are in the process of development and success from several directions”.

Politically, in December 1991, Israel was one of the first countries to officially recognize Azerbaijan's independence, on April 6, 1992, the diplomatic relations between the two countries were stabilized, and the activities of the Israeli embassy in Baku began in August 1993.

Sazhin added: “It is true that until now there is no Azerbaijani embassy in Israel, this can be clarified by the fact that Baku as a permanent member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, is dealing with caution about this topic”.

 

The Business Relations

In May 2021, the Azerbaijani Economy Minister, Mikayil Jabbarov, said at the second meeting of the Azerbaijan-Israel Joint Committee: “In 2022, Baku intends to open a commercial agency with diplomatic status, as well as being the official agent for the tourism development in Israel”.

The writer expressed his confidence that “The diplomatic representation of Azerbaijan in Israel will open on a large scale in the near future, Baku will be a model for the Arab Gulf states that concluded the Abraham Accords”.

Sazhin continued: “Since 1995, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly and other international communities, the discussions have happened between the heads of state of Israel and Azerbaijan, in 1997, the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Azerbaijan, to complement this visit, then-Prime Minister Shimon Peres traveled in 2009”.

Netanyahu traveled to Baku again in 2016, and Iran criticized the visit.

The political relations between Baku and Israel affect the trade and economic relations, since 1993, the Azerbaijani company “AZAL” has been operating flights between Baku and Tel Aviv.

The first mobile operator in the Azerbaijani market was the Israeli company “Bakcel”.

In February 2007, the first economic document between the two countries - an investment support agreement - was signed, the double taxation was also abolished in April 2017.

In June 2019, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed under which Israel operates as an advisor to the project of establishing a national information system in Azerbaijan.

In 2019, the trade between Azerbaijan and Israel reached $1.4 billion, but it decreased in 2020 because of the spread of the Coronavirus.

According to the report of the Energy Agency in the United States, Azerbaijan provides 40% of Israel's oil needs, Israel also benefits from the participation of Azerbaijani companies in the discovery of gas, and the development of gas fields that are discovered in the marine Israel plateau.

In turn, Azerbaijan benefits from exploiting Israel's experience in agricultural development in a high intensity, information technology, chemistry, medicine, etc.. It also seeks to develop green energy. Israel has interesting technologies in the field of solar and wind energy, according to Sazhin.

 

Agreements and Treaties

The writer stated that “The military-technical alliance between the two countries has a history of nearly 20 years”.

In 2004, a treaty was signed for the production of Israeli weapons produced in Turkey with Azerbaijan.

According to WikiLeaks (an international non-profit organization that publishes private and confidential media reports from press sources and news leaks), in September 2008: “Israel and Azerbaijan signed a treaty under which the (Soltam) company will deliver mortars and special munitions to the Azerbaijani army, in addition to missiles and guidance systems”.

 

Also, drones have become the first place among the Israeli military equipment that is assigned to Baku.

For 12 years, the Azerbaijani armed forces have been almost completely prepared for the Israeli drones.

However, the writer added: “The situation has changed only during the year 2020, when the Nagorno-Karabakh war, Azerbaijan gained a batch of aircraft (TB2 Bayraktar) from Turkey, in addition to the multi-purpose helicopters (STM Kargu) that were made in Turkey”.

During the past five years, Israel placed 43% of new weapons at Azerbaijan's disposal, while it gave Turkey only 2.8%, and Israeli companies did a special training for Azerbaijani army elements, it also collected the espionage information in Baku, according to “Sazhin”.

 

A Test of Strength

In 2012, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said: “For Israel, the relations with Azerbaijan are more important than relations with France”.

As the current Israeli Foreign Minister, Gabi Ashkenazi said: “Azerbaijan is an ally and the largest supplier of energy resources, we will continue to expand and develop the relations with it”.

The scholar and expert on Israeli politics affairs, Ari Guetta, said: “The trustworthy friendship relations between Israel and Azerbaijan are an exemplary model for many countries of the world, those relationships explained that it is a real strategic engagement”.

The writer asks: “Does this mean that the union of Azerbaijan and Israel is a common threat? Israel has normal commercial relations with Moscow only from the three mentioned countries, and the relations with Ankara are as terrifying as a train”.

Sazhin concluded his article by saying: “The war in Karabakh is a kind of strategic exercise and a test of strength, Israel supported Baku and tried to make Azerbaijan possess military capabilities to defend itself in the event of a conflict with Iran, it must be admitted that in recent years the Israelis have strengthened their military, intelligence and political-economic positions in Azerbaijan”.However, the former Minister of Defense and Foreign Minister of Israel Avigdor Lieberman presented the situation clearly, saying: “Azerbaijan is at the intersection of 3 empires: Iran, the Ottoman Empire, and Russia; for us, it is important to have an ally in this region where there are Muslims, modernists, and secularists”.