Washington, November 11, AzerTAc
Azerbaijani Ambassador to the USA Elin Suleymanov has spoken at the annual American Jewish Press Association (AJPA) conference. The event was attended by the representatives of the leading Jewish community organizations, and member organizations of AJPA from various parts of the country.
The President of the association Marshall Weiss who delivered the opening speech, talked about the strong ties between Azerbaijan and Israel as well as the thriving Jewish community in Azerbaijan.
Taking the stage next, Ambassador Suleymanov talked about the history of bilateral Azerbaijani-Israeli relations, the significance of the strategic partnership between the two countries, and the long-lasting contribution of the Jewish community of Azerbaijan in development of the relations between Azerbaijan and Israel.
The diplomat noted that Jews have historically lived in Azerbaijan, a majority Muslim state, experiencing no prejudice, intolerance and insecurity. He underlined the fact that during the Nagorno-Karabakh war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Jews fought alongside their Azerbaijani peers which will never be forgotten by Azerbaijani people.
Mr. Suleymanov stated that Azerbaijan delivers as much as 40 percent of Israil’s supply of oil and underlined the importance of continuation of visits of high-ranking officials in the future. He reminded the audience of the visits of Israel’s President, Foreign Relations and Defense ministers in the recent past.
The Ambassador said that the ethnic and religious diversity is a national resource of Azerbaijan and tolerance in the country is endorsed by its leadership, making it a viable platform for interfaith and intercultural dialog.
The Washington-based American Jewish Press Association founded in 1944 unites the English-language Jewish media in North America. The keynote speaker of this year’s conference was Vice President of the United States Joe Biden.

Yusif Babanli
Special Correspondent