EAM Jaishankar to visit Azerbaijan on Friday, review bilateral ties

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar will be on an official visit to Azerbaijan on October 23, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.

During his visit, EAM Jaishankar will hold talks with Azerbaijan's counterpart to review bilateral ties between the two nation

On October 16, India's Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Abhay Kumar, presented his credentials to Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev. During the meeting, Kumar expressed his commitment to working for further strengthening the relations between India and Azerbaijan.

"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).

In his address at the plenary session of the seventh summit of the CICA in Azerbaijan's Baku on October 15, Singh emphasised India's vision of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' for peace, cooperation, friendship and countering shared challenges.

In a post on X, Singh stated, "Addressed the Plenary Session of the 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), held at Baku, Azerbaijan. Emphasized India's vision of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (The World is One Family) for peace, cooperation, friendship and countering shared challenges. Called upon all Member States to unite against cross border terrorism."

On September 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Kyrgyzstan's Bishkek.

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