Amid ongoing efforts by both India and Azerbaijan for a reset in ties, external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov agreed to expand cooperation in energy, trade, investment and connectivity in a “very productive” meeting in Baku.Jaishankar’s visit to Azerbaijan was the first by an Indian foreign minister in the past 8 years and built upon the diplomatic goodwill created by PM Narendra Modi’s meeting with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev on the margins of the SCO summit in Bishkek last month.Political ties between the 2 countries had been held back by geopolitical reasons for a while, mainly Azerbaijan’s ties with Pakistan – as evident from its support for Islamabad after Op Sindoor last year – and India’s defence ties with Armenia.While Bayramov spoke about taking the relationship to a higher level, setting aside past differences, Jaishankar underlined the significance of trade and energy cooperation.“We spoke about economic cooperation, including trade, investment and energy, which are central to our bilateral ties…We believe there is very good scope for further enhancement of bilateral trade and investment. We also discussed various activities and exchanges,” said Jaishankar.“We spoke about connectivity because it is so important in a globalised economy,” he said, adding that they agreed to coordinate more closely on the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).The minister also called on Aliyev in Baku. “Discussed strengthening the relationship between our two countries. Appreciate his positive sentiments for this shared endeavour,” he said in a post on X.
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“Our discussions were focused, they were forward-looking, and we exchanged views on various aspects of our relationship. We also discussed important regional and global developments from a strategic perspective, and please bear in mind that we are both independent-minded nations who make their own call on the important issues of the day,” said Jaishankar in his media remarks about the meeting with the president.Jaishankar also welcomed the peace Agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, expressing hope that it would lead to the establishment of a durable peace. The ministers discussed the impact of conflicts on the Global South with Jaishankar underlining India’s position that disputes should be settled through dialogue and diplomacy.“We have a common interest in really promoting peace and progress and prosperity. And threats like terrorism, conflict and instability are our common enemies,” said Jaishankar.
