India, Uzbekistan discuss bilateral ties during Jaishankar’s Azerbaijan visit

India, Uzbekistan discuss bilateral ties during Jaishankar’s Azerbaijan visit India-Uzbekistan ties have seen multiple high-level exchanges this year left India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar meets Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, in Baku, on Friday (October 23, 2026). Photo Credit: X/@DrSJaishankar via ANI ANI Baku [Azerbaijan], Oct 24 (ANI): India's External Affairs Minister S.

Jaishankar meets Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, in Baku on Friday. (@DrSJaishankar X/ANI Photo) Baku India and Uzbekistan discussed key issues on their bilateral agenda and stressed on the need for timely implementation of agreements reached at the highest level during a meeting between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Uzbek counterpart Bakhtiyor Saidov in Azerbaijan’s Baku.

Mr. Jaishankar was in Azerbaijan on Friday (October 23, 2026) for a day-long visit to review bilateral ties. He met President Ilham Aliyev and held talks with Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov on trade, investment, energy, tourism and connectivity. “Nice to see Uzbek @FM_Saidov at Baku,” Mr. Jaishankar said in a post on X. He also shared a photograph of him alongside the Foreign Minister but did not provide further details of the meeting.

Across the New Silk Road: A journey through Uzbekistan Across the New Silk Road: A journey through Uzbekistan Uzbekistan itself becomes a metaphor for a certain kind of quiet diplomacy which is pragmatic, understated and conscious of its room for manoeuvre. Across the New Silk Road: A journey through Uzbekistan storyline 1 Mr. Saidov arrived in Baku on Friday (October 23, 2026) from Georgia after attending the first joint meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Georgia and five Central Asian countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

“Discussed key issues on the bilateral agenda and emphasised the importance of the timely and effective implementation of agreements reached at the highest level,” Mr. Saidov posted on X.. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred Uzbekistan's highest honour for foreign leaders, the Oliy Darajali Do'stlik Order, during a visit to the country in August. PM Modi conferred with Uzbekistan's prestigious ‘Oliy Darajali Do'stlik’ Order PM Modi conferred with Uzbekistan's prestigious ‘Oliy Darajali Do'stlik’ Order The Prime Minister, dedicated the honour to the bilateral ties, said the people of India are very familiar with the word used for the award - 'Dostlik' PM Modi conferred with Uzbekistan's prestigious ‘Oliy Darajali Do'stlik’ Order storyline 1 During Modi's two-day visit, New Delhi and Tashkent upgraded their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and set a target of $5 billion in bilateral trade.

The two sides also signed 11 agreements to boost cooperation in key sectors, including mining and tourism, and agreed to establish a framework for the long-term supply of uranium from Uzbekistan to India. Earlier on Friday (October 23, 2026), Mr. Jaishankar also visited the historic Ateshgah fire temple near Baku. In a post on X, he described it as a “symbol of the historical and cultural connect between our two peoples”.

The pentagonal, castle-like complex was largely built and used in the 17th and 18th centuries by Hindu and Sikh merchants from the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. Its walls bear inscriptions in Sanskrit and Gurmukhi script, including some Hindu invocations and a Sikh verse. During the meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Mr. Jaishankar described the discussions as “very productive” and said they had helped chart a way forward for bilateral ties.

The two sides discussed expanding economic cooperation, including trade, investment and energy, and agreed to coordinate more closely on connectivity. Both countries are invested in the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multi-modal freight network of about 7,200 km linking India with Iran, the Caspian region, Russia, Central Asia and Europe. Mr. Jaishankar said closer coordination on the project was important in a globalised economy.

The two sides discussed air connectivity, tourism and people-to-people exchanges among other things. Mr. Jaishankar also thanked Azerbaijan for assisting in the evacuation of Indian nationals, particularly students, from Iran during the regional conflict earlier this year.