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Azerbaijan Slowly Warms To India Amid Regional Tensions
India and Azerbaijan have not always been close friends.
Azerbaijan recently supported Pakistan and criticized India over several issues.
It also worried about India selling weapons to Armenia.
Now, the two countries are talking again through official meetings.
They have discussed trade, energy, tourism and security.
Azerbaijan sells much more to India than it buys from India, especially because of oil.
Fewer Indian tourists visited Azerbaijan after Operation Sindoor, which may have hurt its economy.
The article says both countries could benefit from better relations, but India should remain careful.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held a bilateral meeting at a recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek.
India and Azerbaijan resumed foreign-office consultations earlier this year after a pause since 2022, discussing trade, technology, energy, tourism and counterterrorism.
Azerbaijan previously supported Pakistan, criticized India’s actions, echoed Islamabad’s position on Jammu and Kashmir and objected to India’s defense exports to Armenia.
Bilateral trade reached $1.435 billion in 2023, although the balance favored Azerbaijan because of its crude-oil exports to India.
The article argues that Azerbaijan may be seeking stronger ties with India because of tourism losses, energy-market opportunities and changing relations with Turkey and Armenia.
- Who
- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, alongside officials from India and Azerbaijan.
- What
- The two countries are cautiously resetting bilateral relations after years of political strain.
- Where
- The leaders met in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; the renewed consultations were held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
- When
- At a recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek; foreign-office consultations also resumed earlier this year after a pause since 2022.
- Why
- The article identifies shared economic and energy interests, tourism concerns, security issues and changing regional relationships as reasons for the reset.
Engage More Closely
Proceed With Caution
Value of the reset
Engage More Closely
Improved relations could expand trade, energy cooperation, tourism, exports and India’s connectivity through the International North-South Transport Corridor.
Proceed With Caution
India should remain watchful because Azerbaijan previously supported Pakistan, criticized India and took positions on Jammu and Kashmir that New Delhi viewed negatively.
Regional strategy
Engage More Closely
India could use Azerbaijan’s growing differences with Turkey and its peace process with Armenia to build a stronger partnership in Eurasia.
Proceed With Caution
Azerbaijan’s policy may be mainly calculated and driven by its concerns about India’s defense cooperation with Armenia, tourism losses and energy-market needs.
Key facts
- Bilateral trade in 2023
- $1.435 billion
- India’s imports from Azerbaijan in 2023
- $1.23 billion
- India’s exports to Azerbaijan in 2023
- About $201 million
- Indian tourists to Azerbaijan in 2023
- About 117,000
- India’s diplomatic mission in Baku
- Opened in March 1999
- Azerbaijan’s diplomatic mission in Delhi
- Opened in 2004
- Key energy interests
- Azerbaijani crude exports to India and ONGC Videsh Limited stakes in Azerbaijani oil and pipeline assets
Quotes
India’s Ministry of External Affairs
India’s foreign ministry, quoted from its statement on the bilateral consultations
“[The two sides] comprehensively reviewed the current state of bilateral relations covering areas of mutual interest. The issues discussed included trade, technology, tourism, pharmaceuticals, energy, culture, people-to-people exchanges, and a fight against cross-border terrorism.”
NDTV
Sources
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