Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to pay an official visit to Baku in the first half of May, where he will meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The visit was first reported by Israel Hayom.
The talks are expected to focus on several key regional and bilateral issues. Chief among them is the ongoing Israeli-Turkish dialogue, facilitated by Azerbaijan, regarding Syria. The agenda will also include discussions on Azerbaijan potentially joining the Abraham Accords, particularly in the economic and commercial spheres, and ways to further deepen bilateral relations between Israel and Azerbaijan, as well as their ties with the United States and Central Asia.
The planned meeting follows recent diplomatic activity in the region, including the visit of US envoy Steve Witkoff to Baku and an Israeli-Turkish negotiation round also hosted there. This flurry of diplomatic engagement comes amid a backdrop of high-level regional contacts, including a public letter of thanks from former US President Donald Trump to President Aliyev for Azerbaijan's role in mediation efforts, and successive meetings between Aliyev and the presidents of Turkey and Syria.
Aliyev's active mediation and engagement are turning him into a pivotal diplomatic player, uniquely positioned to bridge divides among various regional actors and contribute to regional stability in the Middle East.
