Delegations from Pakistan and several other countries walked out of the hall as Israeli President Isaac Herzog began his speech at an Asian security summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Thursday.
Representatives of more than 10 countries left as Herzog started speaking at around noon at the seventh summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), The Express Tribune reported. Footage showed delegations from Turkiye, Iran, Kuwait, Pakistan and the Palestinian Authority walking out.
A similar walkout took place during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the UN General Assembly in New York in September.
“We cannot uphold this commitment”
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who was among those who walked out, urged CICA members to take a firm stand for Palestinian rights.
“We cannot uphold this commitment while Israel, a CICA member, violates the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people through a systematic policy of oppression,” Fidan told the summit.
“A lasting solution requires the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” he said, adding that Turkiye was committed to strengthening CICA as “Asia’s most inclusive security forum”.
The summit
- Host: Azerbaijan, the current CICA chair
- Agenda: regional cooperation, connectivity, digitalisation and sustainable development
- Expected outcomes: a Baku declaration, a statement on occupational safety and health, and the accession of Laos as a new member
- Participants: member states, observer countries and partner international organisations
Dar and Fidan coordinate on Gaza
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke by telephone with Fidan on Thursday, The Express Tribune reported. They discussed regional and international developments, including the situation in Gaza and Palestine, and the agenda for the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Iraq on October 17 and 18. Both stressed close coordination, bilaterally and at multilateral forums.
Pakistan and Iran to meet in Baghdad
Pakistan and Iran are expected to hold fresh consultations on regional peace efforts on the sidelines of the OIC meeting in Baghdad this weekend, Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was due to travel to Iraq, and foreign ministers from Pakistan, Egypt and Turkiye were also expected to attend.
“Fresh consultations among key regional players including Tehran and Islamabad will take place on the sidelines of the Baghdad meeting,” IRNA said.
Pakistan’s stand
The walkout came the same day Pakistan told the UN Security Council that “all settlement activities must cease” in the occupied West Bank, and days after it called at the UN for Israel to withdraw from all occupied Syrian territory.
Why it matters
Walking out on Israel’s head of state at an Asian summit sent a clear message that Pakistan stands with Palestine. With the OIC meeting in Baghdad next, Pakistan, Turkiye and Iran are working together to keep Palestine and regional peace at the top of the agenda. Read our reports on Pakistan’s statement at the UN Security Council and on Pakistan’s call for Israel to leave occupied Syrian land.
This article draws on reporting by The Express Tribune and IRNA.
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