The 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) has exposed deep diplomatic divisions over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict after delegations from Iran, Türkiye, Pakistan, Kuwait and Palestine walked out as Israeli President Isaac Herzog began his address.
The summit, held in Baku on October 15, 2026, brought together leaders and senior officials from Asia and the Middle East to discuss regional security, political dialogue, economic cooperation and international challenges.
The walkout was widely interpreted as a protest against Israel’s military operations in Gaza and its policies towards Palestinians, although separate official explanations from all five delegations were not available.
READ ALSO: China, Nigeria Mark Friendship With Joint Cultural Mural
Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called for stronger international support for Palestinian rights and an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Iran also opposed Israel’s participation, with Iranian media reporting calls for Israel to be expelled from CICA over its conduct towards Palestinians.
Pakistan, Kuwait and the Palestinian delegation joined the protest, reflecting longstanding concerns about Palestinian statehood and the humanitarian consequences of the Gaza conflict.
Herzog, however, called for greater cooperation between Israel and Asian countries, highlighting potential partnerships in technology, agriculture, water management, healthcare and energy. He also pointed to Israel’s diplomatic relations with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates as examples of regional engagement.
Not all delegations joined the walkout. Reports indicated that representatives of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates remained in the hall, while Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, also stayed during the address, illustrating differing diplomatic approaches towards Israel.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for dialogue, regional stability and peaceful solutions to international disputes. He also reiterated support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The summit was hosted by Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, bringing together representatives of countries with sharply differing political positions, including Iran and Israel.
Afghanistan, a member of CICA, was absent from the summit. The Taliban-led administration has not participated in recent summit-level activities, amid unresolved questions surrounding its international recognition and representation. However, available reports did not establish that CICA formally barred Afghanistan from attending.
CICA serves as a multilateral platform for promoting confidence-building, regional security, economic cooperation and dialogue among Asian countries.
The walkout during Herzog’s address highlighted the challenges facing the organisation as it seeks to promote cooperation amid continuing conflicts and political divisions.
The gathering demonstrated that while regional forums can bring opposing countries together, deep disagreements over Gaza, Palestinian statehood and Israel’s regional role continue to test the limits of diplomacy.