Jaishankar holds talks with Azerbaijan FM

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held “very productive” talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov in Baku on Friday and discussed ways to bolster cooperation in trade and investment, energy, tourism and connectivity.

Jaishankar, who arrived in Baku on Friday on a day-long visit to review bilateral ties, also discussed regional and international developments, and cooperation within multilateral frameworks.

In a press statement, Jaishankar said the discussions were “very productive” and have helped to determine a pathway forward for ties between the two countries.

“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,” he said.  “We spoke about connectivity because it is so important in a globalised economy,” he said, adding that they agreed to coordinate more closely in the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

The INSTC is a 7,200-km long multi-mode transport project for moving freight among India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe. India has been supporting the project.

In a post on X, Foreign Minister Bayramov said he was delighted to welcome Jaishankar to exchange views on the current state and prospects of Azerbaijan–India relations, including political dialogue, trade and investment, energy, tourism, and cultural ties.

“We also discussed regional and international developments, and cooperation within multilateral frameworks. Emphasised the importance of continued dialogue and exploring opportunities for cooperation in areas of mutual interest,” the Azeri minister said.

Addressing the press, Jaishankar said the two sides agreed to deepen cooperation in the oil and energy sector and expand it to other areas.

They also discussed increasing daily flights between the two countries. 

He thanked Azerbaijan’s leadership for evacuating Indian nationals, particularly students from Iran earlier this year, during the conflict.

He also welcomed the August peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia and hoped that it would lead to a durable peace in the region.

“India has a very clear position that disputes should be settled through dialogue and diplomacy. And in that context, we had, of course, our discussions covered the West Asia, Eurasia and Europe,” he said. Jaishankar said the two sides assessed the global implications of these conflicts, because they have created a big problem, particularly for Global South economies in food, in fuel, in fertiliser and in finance.

“We have a common interest in really promoting peace and progress and prosperity,” he said, adding that threats like terrorism, conflict and instability are “our common enemies.”

“We also exchanged views on reforming and expanding international and regional organisations, making them more contemporary and relevant,” he added.

He also invited Azerbaijan’s foreign minister to visit India.

Jaishankar, who earlier called on President Ilham Aliyev and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties, said he conveyed greetings from President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to him.

He recalled the recent meeting between PM Modi and President Aliyev on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek and said his visit is a follow-up to that meeting.

“We exchanged views on various aspects of our relationship. In fact, the President was kind enough to give a lot of time to review the entire gamut of our ties, including ongoing cooperation,” he said.

“We also discussed important regional and global developments from a strategic perspective,” Jaishankar said, recalling his meeting with the President.