Israel signs deal granting Azerbaijan’s SOCAR the rights to explore natural gas production

Israeli Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen has announced that he has granted Azerbaijani state-run oil and gas company SOCAR licenses to explore natural gas deposits in Israeli waters.

‘[This is] a historic day for Israel’s foreign relations and energy sector!’, Cohen said.

‘This is a historic milestone and a tremendous vote of confidence in the State of Israel’.

Cohen concluded by thanking Azerbaijan’s Economic Minister Mikayil Jabbarov, saying, ‘together, we will continue strengthening the ties between our nations and peoples’, noting that this was SOCAR’s first such project abroad. He also shared a photo of the two ministers holding the document granting SOCAR the exploratory licences.

Azerbaijan and Israel have emerged as somewhat unlikely allies in recent years, and have maintained close ties even as perceptions of Israel across the bulk of the Muslim world have plummeted since the beginning of the war in Gaza in 2023.

Many have credited Israeli-manufactured arms as playing a crucial role in helping Azerbaijan achieve success in its 2023 final lightning offensive against Nagorno-Karabakh.

The agreement on SOCAR’s licenses represented a sign that the bilateral ties have extended beyond military cooperation and into something deeper.

The signing of the document occurred during a visit by an Azerbaijani delegation to Israel, and was just one aspect of the trip.

In a post on X, Jabbarov said he met with his Israeli counterpart Nir Barkat, and that the two had ‘discussed the priorities for investment cooperation between the two countries, collaboration within industrial zones, and the strengthening of ties between business communities and entities’.

Jabbarov also met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, and other Israeli officials.

Meanwhile, pro-government Azerbaijani media and state-run outlets wrote favourably about the working visit, highlighting the bilateral economic cooperation and speculating that Azerbaijan could help Israel export gas to Europe.

The visit also comes on the heels of a recent flurry of diplomatic activity between the US and Azerbaijan, which some speculated could be connected to a growing trilateral ‘strategic alliance’ between the US, Azerbaijan, and Israel.

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EU spokesperson Anita Hipper also stated that the EU would continue to support the normalisation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

OC MediaXandie (Alexandra) Kuenning