Armenia and Israel declared their readiness to intensify relations – Foreign Ministry

YEREVAN /ARKA/ — The 12th political consultations between the Foreign Ministries of Armenia and Israel took place last Thursday in Jerusalem. Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan represented Armenia, and Foreign Ministry Director General Eden Bar Tal represented Israel.

According to the press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry, during the meeting, the parties emphasized their readiness to intensify relations between Armenia and Israel, including in the political and economic spheres.

The parties also exchanged views on current developments in the South Caucasus and the Middle East. Possibilities for bilateral and multilateral cooperation were discussed in detail. High technology, medicine, agriculture, and tourism were highlighted as areas of mutual interest and with the greatest potential for cooperation, according to the press release.

Armenian-Israeli relations are quite complex. In particular, relations between the two countries once again worsened in the fall of 2020 due to Israel’s sale of weapons (radars, anti-tank missiles, grenade launchers, and night vision devices) to Azerbaijan, which were used during the 44-day war in Artsakh. Yerevan called on Tel Aviv to stop this deadly business with Azerbaijan, citing the serious threat it posed to Armenian-Israeli relations.