Azerbaijan and India discussed expanding trade and mutual investment as Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met the country’s leaders in Baku on Oct. 23, according to statements from Azerbaijan’s presidency and Foreign Ministry.
President Ilham Aliyev hosted Jaishankar for a meeting that ranged across economic ties, high technology, culture and humanitarian affairs, Azerbaijan’s presidency said. It said the governments shared positions on several international agenda items, including issues concerning the Global South.
The parties backed broader political engagement and visits in both directions, with business delegations among the exchanges discussed, the presidency said. Aliyev also recalled his Sept. 1 meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bishkek during a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.
Jaishankar’s separate meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov covered ways to expand cooperation in energy, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and information technology, the Foreign Ministry said. Trade and investment were also on the agenda, along with Azerbaijan’s transport and logistics role on East-West and North-South corridors.
The ministry said the officials stressed the opportunities direct flights could create for reciprocal tourist visits.
