Why didn't Israeli President Herzog fly to Baku? Caliber.Az reveals the reason / EXCLUSIVE

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

In Azerbaijan, which has hosted numerous major regional and international events (such as Eurovision, the European Games, the Non-Aligned Movement Summit, etc.), security is ensured 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 fact that many Israeli officials, including top leaders of the country, have visited Azerbaijan. President Herzog himself visited Baku on May 30 of this year. Prime Minister Netanyahu also made a one-day visit to Azerbaijan in 2016.

Moreover, unprecedented security measures are being implemented in Azerbaijan for COP29, given the arrival of tens of thousands of guests and nearly a hundred world leaders and high-ranking delegation heads.

The reason for President Herzog's absence from Azerbaijan lies in an entirely different realm. As we have learned, Türkiye imposed a ban on the use of its airspace for the Israeli president's aircraft.

Unfortunately, several days of intensive negotiations through diplomatic channels yielded no results. Azerbaijan upholds an inclusive approach to hosting COP29 and ensures conditions for the participation of all parties. However, the circumstances surrounding the Israeli president's visit arose due to factors beyond Azerbaijan's control.