Pakistan ally Azerbaijan increases flights and trade with India
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New Delhi: Azerbaijan, a traditional ally of Pakistan, has sought to expand people-to-people ties with India by launching Ahmedabad-Baku flights from July, in addition to the operational Delhi-Baku and Mumbai-Baku flights, in what could be a confidence-building measure between India and the former Soviet republic.Azerbaijan's national air carrier, AZAL, will launch direct regular flights from Baku to Ahmedabad from July 4, according to people familiar with the matter. Flights will be operated four times a week - on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays - they said. The development comes close on the heels of Azerbaijan - among the few landlocked countries to operate a cargo ship in high seas - sending a cargo ship to deliver soda ash to the southern Indian ports.'Khojaly' of the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company, operating in the Indian Ocean Region, for the first time delivered soda ash to the ports of Kattupalli and Kandla. AZAL currently operates regular flights to Mumbai and New Delhi. Flights on Mumbai-Baku route operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. From June 16, flights on this route are scheduled every day. Flights from Baku to New Delhi are operated on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. There has been a surge in Indian tourists visiting Azerbaijan over the years, with 2024 witnessing the highest number of tourists so far, said the people cited earlier.Last month, in a break from the past, during the visit of Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif to Baku, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev did not touch upon the Kashmir issue during a joint press event. Besides, following the Pahalgam terrorist attack , the Azerbaijani government sent a condolence message to the Indian government.Azerbaijan remains a key energy supplier to India with investments from Indian oil companies and during this year's energy week in India, a tripartite pact was signed to explore strategic opportunities in the energy sector.
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