Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on Monday, calling him a “visionary leader, leading his nation to impressive achievements.”
Jerusalem’s top diplomat departed on Sunday for official visits to Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, accompanied by a delegation of more than 40 business and government representatives.
The President of Azerbaijan @azpresident İlham Əliyev, is a visionary leader, leading his nation to impressive achievements.
— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) January 26, 2026
We had a fascinating meeting in Baku, and I thanked the President for his friendship and support for Jewish life in Azerbaijan.
I arrived in Baku with a… pic.twitter.com/4Dhuu4fpDV
“We had a fascinating meeting in Baku, and I thanked the president for his friendship and support for Jewish life in Azerbaijan,” said Sa’ar, describing their shared goal as being “to deepen our partnership in energy, defense, water, agriculture, tourism and more.”
Sa’ar also met with Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov on Monday, holding a joint press conference hailing the growing strategic partnership between Israel and Azerbaijan, noting that annual bilateral trade rose by about 50% between 2024 and 2025 to more than $360 million, with 20 weekly flights connecting the two nations and some 60,000 Israeli tourists visiting “this safe, beautiful country” last year.
He said Israel seeks to expand investment and cooperation in fields such as energy, agriculture, cyber and health, pointing to Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR acquiring a 10% stake in Israel’s Tamar gas field as a symbol of “trust and mutual benefit.”
Sa’ar described Azerbaijan as “a model of tolerance and moderation,” emphasizing that the nation has “always been—and continues to be—a safe place for the tens of thousands of Jews that live here.”
The minister commended Aliyev for his leadership and efforts toward peace with Armenia. He said Israel views its partnership with Azerbaijan as a “source of stability and prosperity in two stormy regions.”
Sa’ar also mentioned Azerbaijan’s southern neighbor, Iran, saying the ayatollah regime is carrying out a “massacre of unimaginable proportions” against Iranians protesting for freedom, under cover of an internet blackout, and warning that such a government must never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.
Sa’ar was set to meet with other senior Azerbaijani officials during his visit, as well as members of the Jewish community. He will then travel to Astana for talks with Kazakh President Kassym‑Jomart Tokayev, following that country’s recent decision to join the Trump administration-brokered Abraham Accords.
While in Kazakhstan, Sa’ar will also meet with Jewish community leaders and attend a ceremony marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The visits will include business forums aimed at strengthening cooperation in areas such as water, agriculture, cybersecurity, health and finance.
