The head of the Azerbaijani military, Col. Gen. Najmeddin Sadikhov, walks alongside his Israeli counterpart, Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, Oct. 24, 2018. Photo: Twitter / Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

The head of the Azerbaijani military, Col. Gen. Najmeddin Sadikhov, met at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv on Wednesday with his Israeli counterpart, Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot.

We are honored to welcome the Chief of General Staff of #Azerbaijani Armed Forces, Colonel General Najmaddin Sadigov, to #Israel! ????@MOD_Azerbaijan pic.twitter.com/nA6HqsEN9W

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDFSpokesperson) October 24, 2018

During the meeting, the two generals “emphasized the importance of strengthening military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel, as well as the contributions of the two states to regional security,” an Azerbaijani Defense Ministry statement said.

Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan meets with his Israeli counterparthttps://t.co/eRH0NWZZAy #Azerbaijan_Army pic.twitter.com/zdXDMGlYPp

— Azerbaijan MOD (@wwwmodgovaz) October 24, 2018

On Tuesday, Sadikhov met with Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan meets with Israeli Defense Ministerhttps://t.co/97upEC4zvO pic.twitter.com/xI5k4rFhOX

— Azerbaijan MOD (@wwwmodgovaz) October 23, 2018

In an interview with The Algemeiner earlier this year, Azerbaijani Ambassador to the US Elin Suleymanov called his country a “pioneer” regarding its relationship with Israel.

Azerbaijan — led by President Ilham Aliyev — prides itself on being one of Israel’s closest allies in the Muslim world. Diplomatic ties were established in 1992, after Azerbaijan regained independence with the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the two countries now enjoy an extensive partnership, particularly in the economic and military realms.

A secular, Shiite Muslim-majority nation, Azerbaijan is strategically sandwiched in the Caucasus region between Russia, Iran, Georgia and Armenia, with the Caspian Sea to the east.