BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 17. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with President of the Conference of European Rabbis Pinchas Goldschmidt in Munich, Trend reports.
The head of state said at the meeting that the Jewish community had always lived in the environment of friendship, fraternity and mutual understanding in Azerbaijan and were free to worship, and added that the conditions had been created for the synagogues to function.
President İlham Aliyev touched upon the Jewish community living in the Guba district of Azerbaijan and underlined that the government had always supported the Jewish community and regularly put in place all the measures to improve their living conditions. The head of state said it had been the way of living for the people of Azerbaijan across millennia.
President of the Conference of European Rabbis Pinchas Goldschmidt recalled with pleasure his visit to Azerbaijan in 1997 and meeting with Great Leader Heydar Aliyev, and added that the meeting with the National Leader had a deep impression on him. He underlined that the activity of the Jewish community of Azerbaijan is based on the solid foundation, and thanked the head of state for the conditions created and care for the Jewish community.
Pinchas Goldschmidt said that the conditions created for representatives of various religions including the Jewish community are the example for other countries. He said he visited the Guba district and familiarized himself with the living conditions of the Jewish community, adding existence of 13 synagogues there had a deep impression on him.
The President of the Conference of European Rabbis hailed the comprehensive development of relations between Azerbaijan and Israel, adding that the Jewish communities living in different countries also contributed to the development of these ties.
President Ilham Aliyev emphasized the successful development of partnership and friendship between Azerbaijan and Israel in various areas. The head of state expressed confidence that the opening of Azerbaijan`s embassy in Israel would greatly contribute to the development of these relations.
The intention of representatives of the European Jewish community to visit Azerbaijan was stressed at the meeting.
