Security Not the Issue: Why Herzog Didn't Arrive in Baku

Israeli President Isaac Herzog delivers a speech at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on Jan. 26. (John Thys/AFP via Getty Images)

Caliber.az has learned from a high-ranking source in Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs the real reasons behind the cancellation of Israeli President Isaac Herzog's visit to Azerbaijan. Contrary to claims in some foreign media, the issue is not related to security.

Azerbaijan, which has successfully hosted numerous major regional and international events (such as Eurovision, the European Games, the Non-Aligned Movement Summit, etc.), ensures security at the highest level. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Baku is one of the safest cities in the world. This is evidenced by the visits of many Israeli officials to Azerbaijan, including the country's top leadership. Notably, President Herzog himself visited Baku on May 30 this year, and Prime Minister Netanyahu made a one-day visit to Azerbaijan in 2016.

Furthermore, in preparation for COP29, Azerbaijan is implementing unprecedented security measures to accommodate tens of thousands of guests and nearly a hundred world leaders and high-ranking delegation heads.
 

The reason for Herzog's cancellation lies entirely elsewhere. As we have learned, Turkey imposed a ban on the use of its airspace for the Israeli president's plane. Unfortunately, several days of intensive diplomatic negotiations failed to resolve the issue.

While Azerbaijan has adopted an inclusive approach to hosting COP29 and is creating conditions for the participation of all parties, the situation surrounding President Herzog's visit arose due to circumstances beyond Azerbaijan's control.