EAM Jaishankar Meets Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev in Baku; Focus on Connectivity and North-South Corridors

Baku: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday called on Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev in Baku, where the two leaders discussed ways to strengthen India-Azerbaijan bilateral relations, with particular emphasis on connectivity and transport links.

Jaishankar conveyed the greetings of President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to President Aliyev. In a post on X, the External Affairs Minister said, “Pleased to call on @presidentaz Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan in Baku this morning. Conveyed the greetings of @rashtrapatibhvn and PM Modi. Discussed strengthening the relationship between our two countries. Appreciate his positive sentiments for this shared endeavour.”

The meeting formed part of Jaishankar’s official visit to Azerbaijan. Later the same day, he held talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. According to Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the discussions covered the full spectrum of bilateral relations, including political dialogue, trade, investment, energy, transport, tourism, education, science and cultural cooperation.

Both sides highlighted the 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 hubs. They also exchanged views on regional and international developments and cooperation within the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

Foreign Minister Bayramov briefed Jaishankar on developments in the South Caucasus, the Azerbaijan–Armenia normalisation process, confidence-building measures, reconstruction efforts in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories and the continuing landmine threat.

The visit builds on recent diplomatic engagements. Earlier this month, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh attended the seventh CICA summit in Baku, where he underlined India’s philosophy of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” and called for collective action against cross-border terrorism. In September, Prime Minister Modi and President Aliyev had met on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek.

The talks in Baku reflect the ongoing efforts by both countries to deepen cooperation across multiple sectors, with connectivity projects emerging as a key area of mutual interest.

Post Meeting Statements:

On meeting with Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, EAM S Jaishankar said, "During the meeting that I've had subsequently with the Foreign Minister, our talks dwelt on further expanding our bilateral relations. We spoke about economic cooperation, including in trade, investment and energy, which are central to our bilateral ties. Given our complementary economies, we believe that there is very good scope for further enhancement of our bilateral trade and investment. We also discussed various activities and exchanges, how do we take this forward and I think you heard from the Foreign Minister the recent big investment from India in the Azerbaijani economy. Now, Indian companies have been here for quite a few years in fairly large numbers, but of particular importance is our investment in the oil energy sector. Today, we agreed that we should now look at deepening that, but also expanding to other areas..."

He further said, "India has a very clear position that disputes should be settled through dialogue and diplomacy. In that context, we had our discussions covering West Asia, Eurasia, Europe, and we assessed the global implications of these conflicts because they have created a big problem today, particularly for Global South economies in food, fuel, fertiliser, and finance.  We have a common interest in promoting peace and progress and prosperity and threats like terrorism, conflict, and instability are our common enemies. We also exchanged views a little bit on reforming and expanding international and regional organisations... Our discussions were very productive and have helped to determine a pathway forward for our ties. And I have invited Foreign Minister Bayramov to visit India soon at his convenience. We also agreed that it would be good to exchange trade delegations and delegations in other areas of cooperation."  

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov expressed confidence on Friday that bilateral ties with India are reaching new heights, highlighting expanding prospects in energy, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and logistics. He described External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar’s official visit to Baku as a "very valuable meeting."

Following their talks in the Azerbaijani capital, Bayramov characterized the exchange as comprehensive, constructive, and highly productive, covering a wide range of bilateral, regional, and global issues. He noted that the visit builds upon previous high-level interactions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ilham Aliyev on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek last month.

On economic ties, Bayramov revealed that bilateral trade has reached approximately USD 600 million this year, though he acknowledged it still falls short of the two nations' true potential. He highlighted India’s ONGC increasing its stake in a major oil and gas project in Azerbaijan, alongside more than 1,000 Indian corporate entities operating in the country.

Bayramov also pointed to energy, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and transit corridors—leveraging Azerbaijan's strategic geographic location—as key growth drivers.

To strengthen cultural and interpersonal connections, he noted that two direct flight routes operate between Baku and Delhi, around 500 Indian students are enrolled in Azerbaijani universities this year, and over 30 Indian films have been shot in the country in recent years.

Also Read: EAM Jaishankar To Visit Azerbaijan On October 23 To Review Bilateral Ties; What To Expect