President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received a delegation led by Minister of External Affairs of the Republic of India Sushma Swaraj.

Stressing the importance of Indian Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj`s participation in the Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement, the head of state said that the visit also creates good opportunity for discussing prospects of bilateral ties.

Touching upon the significance of the Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement being held in Baku, Sushma Swaraj emphasized that India is a founding member of this organization. She said she is glad to attend the event. Saying that the two countries enjoy historical ties, the Indian minister of external affairs noted that today bilateral relations are developing successfully. Sushma Swaraj described the large increase in trade as a good sign of bilateral ties. She pointed out that the large-scale economic reforms are being carried out in her country, adding that India has great potential in this area. The minister noted the significance of her country`s participation in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan project and also underlined good opportunities for expanding cooperation in other spheres. Sushma Swaraj said that India is interested in cooperation with Azerbaijan in the North-South and South-West international transport corridor projects initiated by the country.

The head of state praised the increase in bilateral trade, and stressed the necessity of defining cooperation opportunities in various areas, including political, economic, investment making, trade, transport and tourism fields. Hailing India`s participation in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan global project, President Ilham Aliyev expressed hope that Indian companies will invest in the Azerbaijani economy in the future.