Baku: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar called on Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on Friday, with discussions held on strengthening ties between the two nations.
During the meeting, EAM Jaishankar conveyed the greetings of President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to President Aliyev.
“Pleased to call on @presidentaz Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan in Baku this morning. Conveyed the greetings of President Droupadi Murmu and PM Modi. Discussed strengthening the relationship between our two countries. Appreciate his positive sentiments for this shared endeavour,” EAM Jaishankar posted on X.
During his visit, EAM Jaishankar will hold talks with his counterpart in Azerbaijan to review bilateral ties between the two nations.
Earlier, India’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Abhay Kumar, presented his credentials to President Ilham Aliyev on October 16. During the meeting, Kumar expressed his commitment to working for further strengthening the relations between the two countries.
“During the meeting, Ambassador Abhay Kumar conveyed his commitment to working towards the further strengthening and expansion of bilateral relations between India and Azerbaijan. He affirmed that he would spare no effort to promote closer cooperation between the two countries and to deepen the longstanding bonds of friendship and mutual understanding between their peoples,” the Indian Embassy in Azerbaijan stated on X.
“The discussions highlighted the enduring historical and cultural connections between India and Azerbaijan, which have developed over millennia and continue to provide a strong foundation for contemporary bilateral engagement. Both sides acknowledged the significance of these longstanding ties and exchanged views on the prospects for expanding cooperation across various spheres of mutual interest,” it added.
During the meeting, reference was also made to the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Aliyev in Bishkek. Ambassador Kumar and President Aliyev renewed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and further advancing cooperation between India and Azerbaijan. They emphasised the importance of building on the existing foundations of friendship, historical connections and mutual goodwill to explore new avenues of engagement and promote closer ties between the two countries, according to a statement released by the Indian Embassy in Azerbaijan.
Last week, Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh was on an official visit to Azerbaijan, where he attended the Seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).
On September 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek.
(IANS)
