Baku: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar held a meeting with his counterpart from Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov, on Friday with discussions held on bilateral ties, including political dialogue, trade, investment, energy, transport, tourism, education, science and cultural cooperation.
According to Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the meeting, EAM Jaishankar and Bayramov discussed opportunities offered by Azerbaijan’s East–West and North–South transport corridors, the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway, the Port of Baku, the Alat Free Economic Zone and other industrial zones. The two ministers discussed regional and international developments, including cooperation within the United Nations (UN), the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).
“The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan met Jeyhun Bayramov met with India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to discuss the full agenda of Azerbaijan-India relations, including political dialogue, trade, investment, energy, transport, tourism, education, science and cultural cooperation. Opportunities offered by Azerbaijan’s East–West and North–South transport corridors, the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway, the Port of Baku, the Alat Free Economic Zone and other industrial zones were also emphasised,” the ministry stated.
“Discussions also covered regional and international developments, cooperation within the UN, CICA and SCO. FM Bayramov briefed his counterpart on developments in the South Caucasus, the Azerbaijan–Armenia normalization process, confidence-building measures. Reconstruction efforts in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories and the continuing landmine threat were also addressed. Ministers also discussed other bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest,” it added.
Earlier in the day, EAM Jaishankar called on Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev in Baku, 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 President 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.
Last week, India’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Abhay Kumar, presented his credentials to Aliyev.
“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 on October 16.
“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 recently. 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).
(IANS)
