Illustrative. People hold the national flag during the funeral of Major General Polad Gashimov and Colonel Ilgar Mirzoyev of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, who were killed in armed clashes on the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia, in Baku, Azerbaijan, July 15, 2020. Photo: Reuters / Vali Shukurov.

i24 News – Mukhtar Mammadov, Ambassador Designate of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Israel, discussed on i24NEWS on Sunday the upcoming opening of the new embassy in Tel Aviv.

The official underscored the warm reception he received in the Jewish state. “We regard the opening of the embassy as a means to widen our cooperation with Israel,” he said.

In November 2022, Baku announced a historic decision to open an Azerbaijani embassy in Tel Aviv, as it will be the first mission of a country whose majority population and government belong to the Shia, the second-largest denomination in Islam.

Azerbaijan, a secular Muslim-majority country, celebrates its cultural openness and tolerance to different religions, and its eagerness to recuperate tourism to the country, as well as the recent security incidents involving Iran. Mammadov spoke about the freedom of worship and security enjoyed by the country’s sizable Jewish community.

When asked about the country’s position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the diplomat said that he condemns every act of terrorism, whatever its cause, and said that he believed that a diplomatic solution should be sought.