Jaishankar Meets Azerbaijan President and Foreign Minister as India Seeks Diplomatic Reset

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Affairs Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in Baku on October 23, 2026, marking an effort to reset bilateral ties after previous strains.

Background on Bilateral Relations

Relations had previously soured following Azerbaijan's condemnation of India's Operation Sindoor against Pakistan-based terror targets in May 2025, as well as Azerbaijan's statements regarding the Kashmir issue, including remarks at an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group meeting in September 2026.

Areas of Cooperation and Discussion

Despite past differences, Mr. Bayramov highlighted that the two nations held a positive discussion covering several key sectors:

• Energy and Trade: Exploration of investments and cooperation in the energy sector.
• Tourism and Connectivity: Expanding air connectivity and growing people-to-people ties, alongside a rising Indian student population in Azerbaijan.
• Regional Peace: Mr. Jaishankar welcomed the initialling of a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, emphasizing that disputes should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
• Counter-Terrorism: Both sides addressed mutual threats such as terrorism, conflict, and instability.

Significance of the Visit

This visit marks the first bilateral visit by an Indian External Affairs Minister to Baku in eight years, following former Minister Sushma Swaraj's visit in April 2018. Official sources reported that the discussions signal a diplomatic reset as both countries seek to enhance political consultations and economic cooperation.