Jaishankar meets Azerbaijan President, Foreign Minister as India attempts reset of ties

A year after strained relations between India and Azerbaijan over Baku's alignment with Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar embarked on a one-day visit to Baku to mend bilateral ties. Jaishankar's talks with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov were described as "very productive" by the EAM, as they laid out a roadmap for enhancing relations between the two nations.

The pair discussed expanding economic cooperation, particularly in trade, investment, and energy, given their complementary economies. The North-South Transport Corridor, a 7,200km-long multi-modal project spanning India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia, and Europe, was also highlighted as a key focus in their discussions.

Both ministers agreed to coordinate more closely on this project. Bayramov expressed his delight at Jaishankar's visit, emphasizing the importance of continued dialogue and exploring opportunities in areas of mutual interest. Jaishankar also thanked Bayramov for evacuating Indian nationals during the conflict and suggested increasing the number of Azerbaijani professionals to utilize India's Technical and Economic Cooperation program.

The visit followed a recent meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Jaishankar conveyed greetings from President Droupadi Murmu and PM Modi. The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that terrorism, security issues, and common threats were discussed during Jaishankar's official visit, with both countries agreeing to cooperate for peace, prosperity, and security.