Israeli Embassy Inaugurated in Turkmenistan, 17 Kilometers from Iran

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen has inaugurated a permanent embassy in gas-rich Turkmenistan, as Israel seeks to strengthen ties with Iran’s neighbors.

The new embassy in Ashgabat is Israel’s closest diplomatic mission to its arch-foe Iran.

"I came to open an Israeli embassy 17 kilometers from the border with Iran, and to hold a series of meetings with the president and other officials," Cohen tweeted on April 20. “Ties with Turkmenistan have great importance for security and diplomacy, and the visit will strengthen Israel’s place in the region.”

The Turkmen capital sits just on the other side of a rugged mountain range from Iran’s north-eastern border. Israel has had an ambassador in the city for a decade, but he has worked out of hotels and a temporary office. 

After his meeting with Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov, Cohen called his visit "historic" and said that Israel's ties with Central Asia's "energy superpower" are of strategic importance.

"We intend to widen economic relations to include agriculture, water, technology and border defense," the foreign minister said. "No doubt both countries will benefit from the closer cooperation." 

Cohen arrived in Ashgabat late on April 19, becoming the first Israeli minister to visit the repressive state in almost 30 years.

The minister flew from Azerbaijan, where he said he discussed “our shared strategic regional challenges, especially regional security and the fight against terrorism,” with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. 

Before embarking on his trip, Cohen said that Azerbaijan’s geographic position on Iran’s north-western border “makes our relations highly important and with great potential.”

Amid heightened tensions between Azerbaijan and Iran, Azerbaijan and Israel reaffirmed their strategic ties last month as Baku opened its first embassy in Israel.

Israel is one of Azerbaijan’s leading arms suppliers, while the Shia-majority country has supplied Israel with significant amounts of oil.