BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 20. The application of Israeli technological innovations on Azerbaijan's liberated territories may be very useful, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Azerbaijan to Israel, Mukhtar Mammadov, said in an exclusive interview with Trend.
"As you know, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has set tasks for the implementation of 'smart city' and 'smart village' concepts on the liberated territories, and the work in this direction is already underway. Today, Israel is one of the world's leading countries in the field of high technology. The country has enormous experience in the implementation of technological innovations in a range of startups and other fields. The application of Israel's experience in this area to the liberated territories would be very useful," he said.
The ambassador also noted Israel's great experience in agriculture. He said that about 60 percent of Israel's territory is desert, and despite very limited arable land, Israel produces and exports agricultural products.
"Israel had difficulties in the field of irrigation, but today, as a result of the use of advanced technologies in the field of desalination of seawater, it can provide neighboring countries with drinking water. Negotiations are currently underway regarding the implementation of projects in this area. We could study the experience of Israel in the fields of agriculture, high technology, and the application of "smart management" models. During the Azerbaijan-Israel business forum, it was noted that Israeli companies are very interested in working in Azerbaijan," the ambassador said.
According to Mammadov, yesterday, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen also noted that Azerbaijani companies are invited to Israel.
"The embassy will carefully study the Israeli market and identify opportunities for our companies to work in this country, investment opportunities, and prospects for joint production, as well as take steps to attract Azerbaijani companies to these areas," said the ambassador.
The ambassador also talked about the prospects to organize a business forum in Israel in the coming years with the participation of Azerbaijani companies as a continuation of the one which was held in Baku. He said that during such a forum, Azerbaijani companies would be able to get acquainted with the Israeli market.
Furthermore, Mukhtar Mammadov touched on the energy field.
"Azerbaijan is one of the leading countries in the region in the field of energy. In recent years, the development of the energy sector in Israel has become relevant as gas reserves have been discovered and work is underway in this direction. Azerbaijani companies may take advantage of such activities," he said.
He added that since the 1990s, Azerbaijan has provided more than 30 percent of Israel's oil needs. "At the same time, important projects in the field of alternative energy are being implemented under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev," he said.
"Last year, Azerbaijan and the European Commission signed a memorandum of understanding in the field of energy. According to the memorandum signed with Georgia, Romania, and Hungary, electricity will be exported from Azerbaijan to Eastern Europe in a few years. Thus, Azerbaijan is diversifying its energy portfolio," said the ambassador.
He went on to add that several important projects in the field of alternative energy are also being implemented in Israel, and negotiations are underway for cooperation in this area.
"We will explore opportunities for mutual exchange of experience and joint investments [with Israel]," the ambassador said.
Moreover, Mukhtar Mammadov also talked about the priority areas of the embassy's activities.
"Earlier this month, Azerbaijan celebrated the 31st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel. During this period, the two countries developed very successful cooperation in several areas, and mutual visits were constantly carried out," he said.
The ambassador also said that the practical results in several areas are already observable.
"The reality is that diplomatic relations may last only 31 years, but relations between peoples last for centuries. A large Jewish community has been living in Azerbaijan for centuries. In addition to the well-known Krasnaya Sloboda [Red Town, a village in Azerbaijan's Quba with a mostly Jewish population], our citizens of Jewish nationality live in other regions of Azerbaijan. This factor is a base for the relations between the two peoples," the ambassador added.
Mukhtar Mammadov said historical mutual understanding and respect for each other are integral parts of the multicultural lifestyle in Azerbaijan. Bilateral relations are being built and developed on this solid foundation.
"Last November, a decision was made to open the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the State of Israel. On March 29-30, a delegation headed by the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov, visited Israel, and the official opening of the embassy took place as part of the visit. This event was positively assessed by Israel, its citizens, and the Jews of the world," said the ambassador.
The ambassador added that Azerbaijan has never considered the opening of an embassy to be the ultimate goal.
"This only represents a qualitatively new level of our relations. The opening of the embassy and its activities can become a tool for further deepening our relations and identifying new opportunities. Currently, our countries have established cooperation in such areas as agriculture, high technology, education, and tourism," the ambassador said.
Mukhtar Mammadov also stressed the fruitful results of the visit of Foreign Minister of Israel Eli Cohen to Azerbaijan.
"A large delegation headed by Eli Cohen was on a visit to Azerbaijan. During the visit, the third meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission was held. Under the leadership of Cohen, the largest delegation from Israel in the history of bilateral relations visited Azerbaijan," he said.
"Along with the staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Azerbaijan was visited by representatives of 10 state institutions of Israel, as well as the heads of about 20 companies. During the visit, more than 100 business meetings and meetings with representatives of more than 30 government agencies were held. Moreover, there were very optimistic forecasts for the future; useful discussions were held in several areas, and an agreement was reached on deepening cooperation," the ambassador added.
The ambassador said that as part of these meetings, several cooperation agreements were signed in the field of education, ecology, innovation, and investment attraction.
"This further increased the number of goals set. The embassy will strengthen contacts and ensure coordination between the relevant institutions of the two countries in order to facilitate the implementation of the agreements reached. At the same time, the activity of the embassy will be very useful in terms of a deeper study of new opportunities for cooperation between Israel and Azerbaijan and the establishment of appropriate contacts," he said.
As for the projects and programs to be implemented by the diplomatic mission, the ambassador noted that it is too early to talk about specific events since the embassy started working less than two months ago.
"We are currently holding meetings in Israel with representatives of state institutions, business organizations, educational institutions, and the media. At all our meetings, it is emphasized that Azerbaijan is a strategic partner of Israel, and interest is expressed in deepening cooperation in all spheres," said the ambassador.
"Certainly, a number of issues were discussed during yesterday's meetings. Firstly, there is great potential in the field of tourism. Azerbaijan is a very attractive tourist destination for Israeli citizens. There are 8 flights a week between Tel Aviv and Baku, and those are almost full. Tourists from Israel visit Azerbaijan on holidays, during the summer and winter months. Azerbaijan is very well known in Israel, and we think there is great potential in this area," Mukhtar Mammadov noted.
In addition, he noted that the embassy will continue the work in order to increase the tourist flow. He said that the tourist representation of Azerbaijan has been operating in Israel for almost two years.
"During this period, a lot of work has been done to make Azerbaijan a popular destination for Israelis. The embassy will continue this work jointly with the representative office," he said.
Furthermore, the ambassador also said that cooperation in the field of trade is one of the priority directions.
"At yesterday's business forum held with the participation of Azerbaijani and Israeli companies, a number of discussions were held in this direction, and goals were set. Currently, the trade turnover between the countries is about $200 million, and we believe that there is an opportunity to further increase this figure. Mutual visits and business forums are going to be very useful for Israeli companies' integration in the Azerbaijani market, and for Azerbaijani companies in the Israeli market. Also, they are useful in terms of identifying areas of mutual interest and conducting ongoing and practical work to implement them," the ambassador said.
According to him, the personnel of the embassy is not yet fully formed.
The diplomatic mission has just opened, and some administrative work needs to be done to ensure the arrival of all personnel. It is necessary to resolve issues related to the building and other logistical issues. We hope that in the coming months, all logistical issues will be resolved, and the whole team will be formed and ready to start working on the implementation of the set goals, Mukhtar Mammadov said, adding that currently, the consulate is not operating, as it is necessary to complete the relevant procedures.
"There is a large diaspora in the country, consisting of about 80,000 Jewish people who moved from Azerbaijan to Israel. Many of them also retained Azerbaijani citizenship. They will be provided with consular services. Additionally, visa services will be provided to Israeli citizens. Currently, Israeli citizens do not face any difficulties in obtaining a visa, they can use the e-visa service, and at the same time they can apply for a visa on the spot at the airport and get a visa in a short time," Mammadov said.
