Baku:Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with India’s Minister of External Affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on October 23 to discuss expanding cooperation between the two nations. The meeting commenced in a one-on-one format and later included both delegations to explore the current state and future prospects of Azerbaijan-India relations, along with pressing regional and international issues.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, the ministers emphasized developing bilateral relations on the principles of mutual respect, sovereignty, and equality among states. The importance of high-level contacts and political consultations between the two foreign ministries to advance bilateral dialogue was also noted.
The discussions highlighted the significance of a recent meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek. This meeting underscored the potential for enhanced cooperation in various sectors, including economic and trade relations, energy, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and information technology.
Azerbaijan’s strategic location along the East-West and North-South corridors, its transport and logistics potential, and infrastructure opportunities were discussed, alongside the role of direct flights in boosting tourism. Additionally, the ministers acknowledged the importance of fostering cultural and humanitarian ties, as well as cooperation in tourism, education, and science to strengthen mutual understanding.
The meeting also covered cooperation within international frameworks such as the UN, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), among others. Developments in the South Caucasus, the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization process, and ongoing restoration efforts in liberated territories were briefed to the Indian minister, along with discussions on other bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.
Following their discussions, the ministers addressed a joint press conference to make statements about their meeting.