On October 4, the Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan Zakir Hasanov met with the Israeli delegation in Azerbaijan, headed by the Minister of Defense of Israel Binyamin Gantz, on an official visit.
The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan press release states that Zakir Hasanov “emphasized the high level of bilateral cooperation, which has a significant role not only in the development of Azerbaijan and Israel but also in ensuring security in the entire region.” In turn, B. Gantz emphasized the importance of further development of bilateral military cooperation.
The parties discussed the prospects for the development of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel in the military and military-technical spheres, the organization of working meetings at the level of military specialists of various specializations, and other issues. It should be noted that the Minister of Defense of Israel also met with the head of the State Border Guard Service of Azerbaijan, Elchin Ghuliev.
It is necessary to emphasize that Israel is one of the main allies that satisfy Azerbaijan’s weapons requirements. In turn, Israel supplies almost half of its oil demand thanks to the import of energy carriers from Azerbaijan. In addition, Israel’s interest in ensuring its presence in the South Caucasus is conditioned by the drive to prevent the growth of Iran’s influence in the region.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the declaration of independence of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Israel has established close ties with Azerbaijan. Both the previous Artsakh wars and the last 44-day war were accompanied by agreements worth billions regarding the acquisition of military equipment by Azerbaijan from Israel. Currently, active military supplies to Azerbaijan continue, which proves that the hostile state is not only not preparing for peace, but is also replenishing its arsenal, preparing for a full-scale war.
We also know that Israel maintains its presence in the region by establishing intelligence centers in the territories occupied by Azerbaijan, which border Iran. Thus, the Israeli presence is primarily a threat to Iran, and high-ranking Iranian officials have more than once made statements warning about the inadmissibility of a third power’s involvement in this region.
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