Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog's visit to the country will give a "great impetus" to the development of bilateral ties, ahead of an expanded meeting in the capital Baku.
"We just had a very good discussion with Mr President (Herzog) on our bilateral agenda and regional issues. I am sure that a wide range of issues will be discussed at the meeting with the participation of the delegations," Aliyev said on Tuesday, according to a statement by the Azerbaijani presidency.
There is "great potential" in Azerbaijan-Israeli relations, Aliyev noted, saying they have already worked extensively in areas such as trade, energy and security.
"We consider your visit to Azerbaijan to be a historic visit," he added.
For his part, Herzog, who arrived in Baku earlier in the day, expressed his satisfaction to be in Azerbaijan, saying he and his delegation came "with an open heart and great friendship" between the two nations.
"The partnership between Israel and Azerbaijan is the foundation of many areas that you have mentioned and that we have discussed. I think it sends a message to our nations on many levels," Herzog said.
Describing the Azerbaijan-Israel partnership as a "strategic relationship," Herzog said it is "influencing the entire region in terms of peace, prosperity and development."
Aliyev and Herzog later attended a ceremony on the signing of a memorandum on cooperation between the health ministries of the countries “in the fields of health and medical science for 2023-2028."
Source: TRTworld.com