Axar.az presents comment of Dr. Monish Tourangbam, Indian Senior Assistant Professor at the Department of Geopolitics and International Relations, Manipal Academy of Higher Education about the relationship between Azerbaijan and India.

As India makes clear its regional and global aspirations, the inherent potential in India-Azerbaijan relationship needs to be nurtured and nourished, and not left on autopilot.

The India-Azerbaijan relationship has maintained a steady evolution and growth since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992.The geostrategic location of Azerbaijan and the resources found in the country makes it relevant in the foreign policy calculations of India. Building synergy in energy security remains a paramount area of cooperation in the relationship. However, efforts are imperative to build a more comprehensive and multi-faceted relationship between the two countries. The volume of trade turnover between India and Azerbaijan was $930 million in 2018. Traditional areas of cooperation needs to be strengthened and new areas have to be explored.

New Delhi and Baku needs to come together to exploit areas of mutual benefit, and create conducive environment for entrepreneurs from both sides to work together. Promotion and protection of mutual investments remains an area of emphasis between the two countries. Both sides have been emphasizing cooperation in the field of agriculture, IT and communications, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and education. Cooperation is also being built through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC)programme by providing training to Azerbaijani professionals and students in Indian institutions. In recent times, the Indian government has been giving primary attention to develop connectivity projects, including the ambitious International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multi-modal transportation project among a number of countries, spanning for about 7,200 km across the Eurasian region.

This will substantially cut the transportation time between India and Azerbaijan. Moreover, there is lots of potential to leverage Indian soft power resources through effective public diplomacy by promoting Indian cultural heritage and displaying the civilizational ties between India and Azerbaijan.