India-Azerbaijan Relations: A New Initiative After Operation Sindoor, Jaishankar’s Visit Sparks Reactions in Pakistan

New Delhi | Shabu Zaidi

Following Azerbaijan’s stance in support of Pakistan during ‘Operation Sindoor,’ efforts to bridge the gap in relations between India and Azerbaijan appear to be gaining momentum. In this context, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Dushanbe. Subsequently, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

During his visit, Jaishankar met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and held bilateral talks with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. Describing his discussions with Bayramov as “very substantive,” Jaishankar said the talks had helped chart a course towards improving relations between the two countries.

The visit is being viewed as an initiative to improve India-Azerbaijan relations. Meanwhile, the meeting has also drawn sharp reactions from some experts in Pakistan.