International climate conference COP29 Photo: Euronews.
The visit of Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog to the international climate conference COP29 in the capital of Azerbaijan has been cancelled after Turkey blocked the use of its airspace for his flight, TimeUkraineIsrael portal reports citing Vesty. As it became known on Sunday, 17 November, this was confirmed by official sources in Azerbaijan and Israel. Initially, the Israeli administration cited “security concerns” as the main reason for the cancellation of the trip, which caused dissatisfaction on the Azerbaijani side.
Azerbaijan’s reaction: “Baku is one of the safest cities”
The Azerbaijani side, which had been preparing to host tens of thousands of guests and more than a hundred world leaders, expressed disappointment at the security claims as a reason for the cancellation. A spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stressed that Baku already has experience hosting international events such as the Eurovision Song Contest and the European Games and is one of the best protected cities in the world.
Failed negotiations with Turkey on a transit corridor
It was planned to use the Knaf Tzion (“Wing of Zion”) aircraft for the trip, but diplomats’ attempts to reach an agreement with Turkey on the flight were unsuccessful. The day before, on 16 November, the Office of the President of Israel reported: “After assessing the situation and taking into account security concerns, the president has decided to cancel the trip.” Nevertheless, the Israeli ministers who did arrive at the conference took commercial flights via an alternative route through Georgia.
Geopolitical circumstances and the Russian-Ukrainian war
Later, the Israeli side admitted that Turkey’s decision was one of the factors behind the cancellation of the trip, adding that the security risks associated with alternative routes had increased in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war. In addition, the importance of the visit to Baku has decreased for Herzog, as he had already missed the key COP29 leaders’ meeting due to prior commitments while on a visit to the United States, where he held talks with President Joe Biden.
Azerbaijan provides security for COP29
Despite the circumstances, Baku remained determined to hold the climate conference at the highest level of security. The Azerbaijani media outlet Saliber.az reported, citing its own sources, that Turkey had firmly refused permission for the Israeli plane, although diplomatic talks on the issue had been ongoing for several days. Azerbaijan assures that it is creating inclusive conditions for all COP29 participants, and the situation surrounding the arrival of the Israeli president occurred for reasons beyond the control of the host country.
