External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Baku last week pointed to a reset in relations with Azerbaijan that had soured in the last few years. Like the dramatic turnaround in ties with Canada over the past year and a half, the opening in Baku reminds us that productive diplomacy is possible even with countries dismissed as hostile by public opinion.

Even more interesting, the positive results from the engagement with Azerbaijan underline the enduring power of nationalism and self-interest over political affiliations based on religion and ethnicity. Indian perceptions of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Pakistan as a strategic bloc hardened during Op Sindoor in May 2025. Going back a little further, Delhi flagged the 2021 Islamabad Declaration by the three countries, which backed Pakistan’s position on Kashmir. Their “Three Brothers” military exercise in Azerbaijan that year gave the partnership a memorable label.…