New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS) Terrorism, security issues and common threats were discussed during External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar’s visit to Azerbaijan on Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has confirmed.
Addressing a bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India and Azerbaijan agreed that both nations must collaborate and cooperate to enhance peace, prosperity, and security of their people and work towards shared challenges faced by them.
Asked whether EAM Jaishankar raised the issue of cross-border terrorism during his visit to Azerbaijan, Jaiswal responded, “Security issues, terrorism, and the common threats that we face were discussed. Both countries agreed that they must cooperate, collaborate to enhance peace, prosperity, and security of their people, and also work towards shared challenges that they have.”
The MEA spokesperson mentioned that EAM Jaishankar also called on Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev on Friday, during which they discussed bilateral ties.
When asked about the key outcomes of EAM Jaishankar’s meetings with President Aliyev and Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister, Jaiswal said, “Our External Affairs Minister is visiting Azerbaijan, Baku. He is presently there. There was a meeting between our Prime Minister and President of Azerbaijan on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Bishkek. This visit of External Affairs Minister is a follow-up to that visit. Today, External Affairs Minister called on the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in Baku and they discussed how to take various aspects of the bilateral relationship forward. He also conveyed the greetings of our Prime Minister, as also of our President, to President Aliyev.”
Jaiswal said that EAM Jaishankar had a detailed discussion with Azerbaijan counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov and described the talks as “productive.” He said that both sides agreed to deepen political consultations and enhance economic partnership.
“External Affairs Minister, thereafter, had a detailed discussion with his counterpart, Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan. The talks were productive. They talked about how to take the relationship forward, and they agreed to deepen political consultations, exchange visits, including trade visits. They also talked about enhancing economic partnership, economic cooperation, trade and investment, connectivity issues, as also collaboration in the energy field. Both countries have a strong cultural understanding and that provides a good basis for the two countries to now expand or build on their relationship going forward.”
“External Affairs Minister and Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, they also shared perspectives on regional developments as well as global developments. India, we have a position on the peace agreement. We welcome the peace agreement that has been signed between Azerbaijan and Armenia,” he added.
EAM Jaishankar thanked Bayramov for support in evacuating Indian students from Iran when the conflict erupted in West Asia and also invited him to visit India.
“So, all in all, it has been a productive discussion…He has extended an invitation to Foreign Minister Bayramov to visit India as well, and also External Affairs Minister congratulated Azerbaijan for successfully hosting the CICA meeting that happened recently, where our Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh participated,” the spokesperson mentioned.
–IANS
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