Jaishankar Meets Aliyev; Terrorism, Energy and Ties on Agenda
New Delhi, October 23: During External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's visit to Azerbaijan, the two countries reviewed terrorism, security issues and shared threats, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday.
Speaking at the bi-weekly press briefing in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India and Azerbaijan had agreed that they must cooperate to ensure the peace, prosperity and security of their citizens. Both countries, he said, should also step up joint work on the challenges they confront together.
In response to a question on whether cross-border terrorism was raised, Jaiswal said security matters, terrorism and shared dangers were discussed in detail. He added that both sides concurred on the need for coordinated efforts in these areas.
In Baku on Friday, Jaishankar called on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The two leaders discussed multiple aspects of taking bilateral relations forward, according to the spokesperson.
Jaiswal linked the visit to an earlier meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Azerbaijani president at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek. Jaishankar conveyed best wishes from Prime Minister Modi and the Indian President to Aliyev.
Jaishankar also held extensive discussions with Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, which Jaiswal described as productive. The two sides agreed to intensify political consultations and strengthen economic ties.
The talks covered ways to boost political-level engagement and encourage reciprocal visits and business delegations. Economic cooperation, trade and investment, connectivity and energy were also key topics. Jaiswal said the strong cultural understanding between India and Azerbaijan provides a good foundation for future growth in relations.
Jaishankar and Bayramov further exchanged perspectives on regional and global developments. India welcomed the peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the spokesperson said.
Jaishankar thanked Bayramov for Azerbaijan's support in evacuating Indian students from Iran during the conflict in West Asia. He also invited the Azerbaijani foreign minister to visit India.
Finally, Jaishankar congratulated Azerbaijan on the successful conduct of a recent Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) meeting. India had been represented at the gathering by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh.