NEW DELHI: Amid ongoing efforts by both India and Azerbaijan for a reset in ties, EAM S Jaishankar and his counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov agreed to expand cooperation in energy, trade, investment and connectivity in a “very productive” meeting in Baku.Jaishankar’s visit to Azerbaijan was the first by an Indian foreign minister in eight years and built upon the diplomatic goodwill created by PM Modi’s meeting with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev on the margins of the SCO summit in Bishkek last month.Ties between the two countries had been held back by geopolitical reasons for a while, mainly Azerbaijan’s ties with Pakistan — as evident from its support for Islamabad after Op Sindoor last year — and India’s defence ties with Armenia.While Bayramov spoke about taking the relationship to a higher level, setting aside past differences, Jaishankar underlined the significance of trade and energy cooperation. Terrorism was also among the issues discussed. “We spoke about economic cooperation, including trade, investment and energy, which are central to our bilateral ties… We believe there is very good scope for further enhancement of bilateral trade and investment.
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We also discussed various activities and exchanges,” said Jaishankar.“We spoke about connectivity because it is so important in a globalised economy,” he said, adding that they agreed to coordinate more closely on the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).The EAM also called on Aliyev in Baku. “Discussed strengthening relationship between our two countries. Appreciate his positive sentiments for this shared endeavour,” he said.Jaishankar welcomed peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, expressing hope that it would lead to the establishment of a durable peace.
