MOSCOW

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev discussed preparations for the upcoming Azerbaijani-Israeli business forum with Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar at a meeting in Baku on Monday.

"During the conversation, satisfaction was expressed regarding the meeting between the presidents of Azerbaijan and Israel that took place a few days ago in Davos, during which issues related to the bilateral agenda were discussed," Aliyev's press service said in a statement.

It emphasized that relations between the two countries are developing successfully in various areas, including trade and economy, energy, tourism, and other sectors.

"Gideon Sa'ar reported that during his visit, he was accompanied by representatives of big business and the business community, and emphasized that the upcoming Azerbaijani-Israeli business forum would contribute to the development of trade and economic relations between the two countries," the readout said.

The two officials also praised the intergovernmental commission in building bilateral relations.

"He (Saar) thanked President Ilham Aliyev for the care of the Jewish community in Azerbaijan at the state level," the statement said.

Saar is expected to have a series of meetings in Baku later in the day, including with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ceyhun Bayramov, and will then travel to Kazakhstan.