President Isaac Herzog addressed the CICA summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Thursday, as representatives from Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Kuwait and the Palestinian Authority left the hall before his speech. Qatar’s emir remained in the room.

Herzog is attending the conference alongside senior officials from countries with which Israel has no diplomatic relations, including Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Iraq. During his day-and-a-half visit, he is also meeting with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev to discuss security, energy, technology and regional developments.

Herzog traveled to Baku on a commercial Azerbaijan Airlines flight that crossed Turkish airspace, despite Turkey’s ban on Israeli government aircraft. The flight reportedly avoided the Black Sea route and Ankara was not informed in advance of Herzog’s identity as a passenger.

Herzog also met with Bahrain’s foreign minister, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, and the two discussed strengthening the Abraham Accords. His schedule includes meeting members of Azerbaijan’s Jewish community and visiting the Israeli Embassy, where voting opened for Israelis living abroad.

The visit also comes amid tensions between Turkey and Azerbaijan following Azerbaijani legislation restricting the wearing of hijabs in the education system. Members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party protested outside Azerbaijan’s embassy in Ankara.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)