Defense Minister Yoav Gallant will leave for an official visit to Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku on Wednesday, the Defense Ministry said. During the visit, which will last till Friday, Gallant will meet with the country’s president Ilham Aliyev, his Azeri counterpart General Zakir Hasanov, the Commander of the National Border Guard General Elchin Guliyev as well as other senior security officials.
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Gallant is expected to be received with an honor guard at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Baku, including the local band playing Israel's national anthem
“The purpose of the visit to Azerbaijan is to strengthen the strategic relations between the countries, tighten the political cooperation and expand the security-technological ties between the two countries," the ministry said in a statement. "In his meetings, the Defense Minister is expected to discuss with his colleagues the ways to strengthen regional stability,” the defense ministry’s statement said.
Gallant's visit comes against the background of tightening relations between Israel and Azerbaijan. Last week, an Afghani man was arrested by Azerbaijan's State Security Service for his suspected involvement in planning a terror attack on the Israeli embassy in Baku.
Earlier in May, President Isaac Herzog visited the Shiite Muslim country and discussed the expansion of cooperation and Iranian threats with Aliyev.