Azerbaijan Opens Embassy in Israel

Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov arrived in Israel on Wednesday and met with his counterpart Eli Cohen, as reported by TASS.

"For the first time in the 30 years of diplomatic relations between our countries, Azerbaijan will open a permanent embassy in Israel," the Israeli Foreign Minister's statement read.

The official ceremony for the opening of the Azerbaijani embassy in Tel Aviv is scheduled for March 29.

On Sunday, March 26, Azerbaijan's first ambassador to Israel, Mukhtar Mamedov, presented his credentials to President Isaac Herzog.

Azerbaijan has become the first Shia country to announce the opening of an embassy in Israel. The two states have maintained diplomatic relations since 1992. The Jewish state has operated its embassy in Baku since 1993, while Azerbaijan had previously maintained a trade representation and tourism office in Tel Aviv.