Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar discussed prospects for expanding bilateral cooperation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, as well as regional and international issues.
According to Report, at a joint press conference with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in Baku, Jaishankar said his visit to Azerbaijan followed a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ilham Aliyev on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
Jaishankar said he had conveyed the greetings of Indian President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Azerbaijani head of state.
The minister noted that the sides had discussed the full range of bilateral relations in detail, including current cooperation, opportunities to expand it and new approaches to engagement. They had also exchanged views on key regional and international developments from a strategic perspective.
Jaishankar also stressed that India, like Azerbaijan, independently determines its foreign policy positions. "It should be borne in mind that both our countries pursue independent policies and make their own decisions on current foreign policy issues," he said.
According to the minister, the two countries have a long history of cultural ties and people-to-people exchanges. Mutual respect for each other's cultures and values provides a foundation for developing a more productive partnership.