Home Arrow FAQs Arrow Does Azerbaijan have strong relations with Israel?

Does Azerbaijan have strong relations with Israel?

Yes, Azerbaijan and Israel enjoy a strong connection, built on geopolitical interests, cooperation in energy, business in defense and links between their cultures. Even though most of Azerbaijan’s population is Muslim, Israel has forged a valuable and respected partnership there.

Diplomatic foundations and high-level visits

Azerbaijan received recognition of its independence from Israel very soon after the Soviet Union collapsed and Israel opened an embassy in Baku in 1993. Ever since, there has been steady growth in relations, largely because of visits by top leaders. Both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres have traveled to Azerbaijan and in 2009, Peres announced:

“You bring the oil, we’ll bring the ability and technology.”

Because of sensitivity about the Armenian conflict and pressure from some Muslim nations, Azerbaijan doesn’t yet have an embassy in Israel, but some top ministers there have visited in recent years. There are visits by officials from the energy, transportation, communications and emergency services areas.

Strategic military and security cooperation

One of the most significant areas of cooperation is in military trade and defense:

  • In 2012, the countries finalized a deal for $1.6 billion of defense technology, including drones, anti-aircraft systems and missile defense.
  • As a result of Israeli technology support, Azerbaijan now can build and take advantage of unmanned military systems on its own.
  • Media reports in 2024 suggested that Azerbaijan and Israel reached an agreement on the acquisition of two military satellites, though no official confirmation has been released by either government.

There are also persistent but unconfirmed reports that Israeli intelligence operates near the Azerbaijan-Iran border, a claim often denied but widely believed due to both countries’ shared concerns about Iran.

Energy and economic ties

Energy is a cornerstone of the Azerbaijan–Israel relationship:

  • Each year, Israel uses about 40 percent of its oil from Azerbaijan.
  • While Turkey remains an important transit country for regional oil exports, Azerbaijan’s direct oil exports to Israel typically rely on the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline, which connects through Turkey.
  • SOCAR, the oil company from Azerbaijan, is taking part in oil and gas exploration off Israel’s coast for the first time outside the Caspian Sea region.

Additionally, Israel has been one of Azerbaijan’s top five trading partners, showing the depth of their economic partnership.

Azerbaijan is also known for being a safe haven for Jews:

  • The Jewish population in Azerbaijan which is about 20,000–25,000 people, has been living in Baku and Quba for more than 2,000 years.
  • The community practises religious freedom and President Ilham Aliyev visits Jews regularly, wishing them happy holidays.

Conclusion

Azerbaijan and Israel have grown a practical relationship that benefits both sides by focusing on shared regional security issues, Iran and strong economic and military cooperation. Although privacy is important in certain parts of their relationship, it’s obvious that Azerbaijan is a secular country with a Muslim-majority population, and while it maintains a strong strategic partnership with Israel, it also balances its foreign relations with other regional powers.

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