EAM S Jaishankar to Embark on Official Visit to Azerbaijan on Oct 23

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is set to visit Azerbaijan on October 23 to hold bilateral talks, following recent diplomatic efforts to strengthen ties between New Delhi and Baku through historical and cultural connections.

EAM S Jaishankar's Upcoming Visit to Azerbaijan

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar will embark on an official visit to Azerbaijan on October 23, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated on Thursday. During the visit, EAM Jaishankar will hold talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart to review bilateral relations between the two countries.

Diplomatic Strengthening and Recent Engagement

On October 16, India's Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Abhay Kumar, presented his credentials to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. During the meeting, Kumar voiced his commitment to advancing closer partnerships between New Delhi and Baku.

"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," the release added.

During the interaction, reference was also made to discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Aliyev in Bishkek. Ambassador Kumar and President Aliyev reaffirmed their resolve to elevate bilateral ties and foster deeper cooperation, emphasising the necessity of leveraging historical foundations and mutual goodwill to uncover new avenues of engagement, according to a statement from the Indian Embassy in Azerbaijan.

Recent Diplomatic Summits and India's Foreign Policy

Last week, Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh undertook an official visit to Azerbaijan, where he attended the Seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). Addressing the plenary session of the seventh summit of the CICA in Baku on October 15, Singh underscored India's guiding philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam', aimed at fostering peace, cooperation, friendship and collective efforts to address shared challenges.

In a social media 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."

Earlier, on September 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. (ANI)

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