Israeli president urges cooperation with Asian nations, rejects boycotts

Israeli President Isaac Herzog urged Asian nations to expand cooperation with Israel, saying boycotts hinder engagement, in a speech at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit in Baku.

“Peace cannot exist with terror, and cooperation cannot thrive with boycotts,” Herzog said, adding that Israel seeks to strengthen ties with countries across the region and participate in joint projects.

Herzog identified technology, digital connectivity, agriculture, energy, water management, healthcare, tourism and artificial intelligence as potential areas for cooperation. He said Israel also hoped to benefit from the knowledge and experience of other Asian countries.

The president expressed hope for peace in the Middle East, including with Lebanon, Syria, Gaza and the Palestinians, and called for joint efforts to combat terrorism.

Herzog also welcomed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s forthcoming visit to Samarkand for meetings with representatives of Central Asian countries. Rubio plans to visit Uzbekistan and take part in meetings with representatives of the Central Asian states.