External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar called on Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on Friday, 23 October 2026, with the two sides holding discussions on deepening bilateral relations between India and Azerbaijan. The high-level meeting forms part of Jaishankar's ongoing diplomatic engagement in the region.

Greetings and Key Messages

During the meeting, EAM Jaishankar conveyed the personal greetings of President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to President Aliyev. Jaishankar subsequently posted on X: 'Pleased to call on Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan in Baku this morning. Conveyed the greetings of President Droupadi Murmu and PM Modi. Discussed strengthening the relationship between our two countries. Appreciate his positive sentiments for this shared endeavour.'

Bilateral Talks with Azerbaijani Counterpart

Beyond the presidential call, Jaishankar is scheduled to hold separate talks with his Azerbaijani ministerial counterpart during the visit to review the full spectrum of bilateral ties. The agenda is expected to cover trade, connectivity, and cultural cooperation — areas both sides have flagged as priorities.

Diplomatic Groundwork in Recent Weeks

The Baku visit builds on a series of diplomatic interactions that have gathered pace in recent weeks. India's Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Abhay Kumar, presented his credentials to President Aliyev on 16 October, pledging to work towards the 'further strengthening and expansion of bilateral relations.' The Indian Embassy in Baku noted that the discussions had highlighted 'enduring historical and cultural connections between India and Azerbaijan, which have developed over millennia.'

The two sides also recalled the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Aliyev on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek on 1 September, at which both leaders had committed to advancing cooperation.

India's Expanding Engagement with Azerbaijan

Last week, Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh visited Azerbaijan to attend the Seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), signalling sustained Indian diplomatic interest in the South Caucasus. This comes amid India's broader push to diversify its Eurasian partnerships beyond traditional anchors such as Russia and Central Asia.

Notably, the pace of India–Azerbaijan engagement — an ambassador's credentials presentation, a ministerial CICA visit, and now an EAM-level bilateral — within the span of a single month points to a deliberate elevation of the relationship. How swiftly the two sides translate these political signals into concrete economic and connectivity outcomes will determine the trajectory of ties in the months ahead.