Azerbaijan and India seek to deepen ties after years of cool relations

    Azerbaijan's foreign minister has met his Indian counterpart in Baku for talks aimed at expanding trade, energy and technology cooperation — the latest sign of a warming relationship that spent decades in the shadow of regional rivalries.

    Jeyhun Bayramov held talks with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on 23 October. The meeting began one-on-one before being expanded to include both delegations. According to Azerbaijan's state news agency AZERTAC, the ministers discussed the state and prospects of bilateral relations, as well as pressing regional and international issues.

    Mr Bayramov stressed the importance of developing ties on the basis of mutual respect, sovereignty and the equality of states. Both sides highlighted the role of high-level contacts and political consultations, and pointed to a meeting between President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek.

    Economic cooperation dominated the agenda — expanding trade, increasing turnover and promoting mutual investment, with energy, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and information technology named as priorities. Azerbaijan's strategic position at the crossroads of the East-West and North-South corridors, its transport and logistics potential, and the role of direct flights in boosting tourism were all underlined. Mr Jaishankar was briefed on developments in the South Caucasus, including the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalisation process and the continuing mine threat. Afterwards, the ministers made statements at a joint press conference.

    Background: The two countries' connections are far older than their diplomatic relations. Centuries ago, Indian merchants and Sufi scholars travelled along the Silk Road to the Caspian shore, and Azerbaijani poetry long absorbed Indian motifs. Modern ties, however, started late: India recognised Azerbaijan's independence in 1991 and established diplomatic relations in 1992.

    For much of the post-Soviet period the relationship was cool. Geopolitics kept the two sides apart. Pakistan was among the first states to recognise Azerbaijan and backed Baku over Nagorno-Karabakh, while Azerbaijan has traditionally supported Islamabad over Kashmir — a triangle that kept New Delhi wary. India, meanwhile, nurtured close ties with Armenia, and defence cooperation between the two grew markedly after 2020, with India supplying rocket launchers, artillery systems and radars to Yerevan — a development Baku viewed with displeasure.

    Why it is warming: The economics now point the other way. India, a major energy importer, has been diversifying its sources, while Azerbaijan holds oil and gas reserves and is looking for buyers beyond Europe. Bilateral trade has grown, with Indian pharmaceuticals, machinery and IT services flowing into the Caucasus and Azerbaijani agricultural and petrochemical products heading to India.

    Connectivity is the second driver. India is a participant in the International North-South Transport Corridor, which runs through Iran and the Caspian region into Azerbaijan — making Baku a gateway for New Delhi's trade with Russia, Central Asia and Europe. For Baku, the corridor offers transit revenue and a chance to reduce dependence on traditional export routes.

    Multilateral convergence has added momentum. Azerbaijan chaired the Non-Aligned Movement from 2019 to 2023, a body India helped found; both are members of CICA and active in SCO formats. Analysts see the meeting as part of a broader adjustment: after the 2020 war and the return of Karabakh in 2023, Baku has moved to diversify beyond its closest allies, while New Delhi pursues a balancing act in the South Caucasus — keeping its ties with Yerevan while courting Baku.

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