A Visit To Baku, A Gateway To A Changing Eurasia, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar recently visited Baku, signaling a reset in India's relations with Azerbaijan.
• This diplomatic opening follows a period of strained ties, partly due to Indian perceptions of a Turkey-Azerbaijan-Pakistan strategic bloc.
• The visit underscores the growing importance of national interests over religious or ethnic affiliations in shaping foreign policy in Eurasia.
• Azerbaijan's strategic location and resources make it a crucial partner for India's engagement with the Caucasus and Central Asia.

India-Azerbaijan Relations.jpg

Detailed Insights:

• India's relations with Azerbaijan had previously soured, notably during "Op Sindoor" in May 2025, and due to the 2021 Islamabad Declaration and "Three Brothers" military exercise involving Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan.
• The Islamabad Declaration in 2021 saw Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan back Pakistan's stance on Kashmir and agree to enhance cooperation on various issues.
• The "Three Brothers" military exercise in September 2021 involved special forces from Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Pakistan, aiming to strengthen ties and combat terrorism.
• Pan-Turkism, promoted by Turkey, faces limitations as national interests often override shared ethnic or religious identities, as seen in recent Turkey-Azerbaijan friction.
• Azerbaijan has defended its secular order against conservative Turkish criticism regarding headscarf restrictions and maintains a strategic relationship with Israel, despite Turkey's differing stance.
• Central Asian republics, members of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS), pursue "multi-vector" foreign policies, welcoming Turkish investment but rejecting proposals for the OTS to become a military bloc.
• India has energy interests in Azerbaijan and a stake in the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which passes through Azerbaijan.
• Closer engagement with Azerbaijan can enhance India's access to the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Greater Middle East, while balancing its partnership with Armenia.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Organisation of Turkic States (OTS): An intergovernmental organization promoting comprehensive cooperation among Turkic states, formed in 2009 as the Turkic Council and renamed in 2021.
• International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC): A 7,200 km multi-modal network of ship, rail, and road routes for moving freight between India, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia, and Europe.
• Multi-vector foreign policy: A foreign policy approach where a state seeks to develop relations with multiple international actors, rather than aligning exclusively with one power bloc.