To His Excellency Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of the State of Israel

Dear Mr. Prime Minister,

I cordially congratulate you on the commencement of your tenure as the Prime Minister of the State of Israel and convey my most sincere and warm wishes. It is a vivid manifestation of strong faith and trust in you by the friendly people of Israel and a high appreciation of your performance and merits in your country's overall development and prosperity.

We attach particular significance to Azerbaijan-Israel relations stemming from the will of our peoples that have historically lived in an atmosphere of friendship and mutual understanding. It is gratifying that our interstate relations, built on such a solid foundation as mutual trust and support, have developed along an ascending trajectory and reached the present level in the past three decades. You have rendered substantial services in forging and developing the ties between our countries.

This November, a decision was made to establish Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Israel. I hope opening an Embassy will contribute to advancing Azerbaijan-Israel relations.

I am confident that we will successfully continue our joint efforts to deepen the ties between our countries and expand further our mutually beneficial cooperation in line with the interests of our friendly peoples.

I seize this opportunity to convey my sincere congratulations on the occasion of the New Year 2023. I wish you robust health, happiness and everlasting success in your official duties for the sake of peace and prosperity of the friendly State of Israel and its people.

Sincerely,

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 29 December 2022