External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in Baku on Friday to review bilateral ties and opportunities for wider cooperation. Their discussions covered political dialogue, trade, investment, energy, transport, tourism, education, science and cultural exchanges. The ministers examined the connectivity opportunities offered by Azerbaijan’s East–West and North–South transport corridors, as well as the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway, the Port of Baku and the Alat Free Economic Zone. They also considered potential cooperation through other industrial hubs and discussed regional and international developments. The talks included multilateral cooperation through the United Nations (UN), the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). Bayramov briefed Jaishankar on developments in the South Caucasus, the Azerbaijan–Armenia normalisation process and confidence-building measures. Reconstruction in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories and the continuing threat from landmines were also addressed. Earlier, Jaishankar met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku and conveyed the greetings of President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The meeting focused on strengthening relations and deepening friendship between the two countries. Jaishankar’s engagement with Aliyev followed the formal presentation of credentials by India’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Abhay Kumar, on October 16. Kumar conveyed India’s commitment to expanding bilateral relations and promoting closer cooperation. The discussions during the credential ceremony highlighted the historical and cultural links between the two countries and explored prospects for collaboration in areas of mutual interest. The ambassador and Aliyev also referred to the earlier meeting between Modi and the Azerbaijani president in Bishkek, reaffirming their intention to consolidate bilateral ties. Separately, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh visited Azerbaijan to attend the seventh CICA summit.