New Delhi/Baku, April 2: India expressed its gratitude to the government of Azerbaijan on Thursday for assisting in the evacuation of Indian nationals from Iran through its land border.
Speaking at a weekly media briefing in New Delhi, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Randhir Jaiswal, said that approximately 204 Indian nationals have successfully crossed into Azerbaijan from Iran.
He noted that several of those evacuated have already returned to India, while others are expected to arrive in the coming days.
"Azerbaijan, we have our ambassador there. He recently presented his credentials. During the presentation of his credentials, he also discussed several issues of a bilateral nature. Several of our Indian nationals, 204 to be precise, have been able to leave Iran for Azerbaijan through the land border. And from there, they will be coming back home. Several of them have returned; others will be returning in the course of the next few days or so," Jaiswal stated.
"We are thankful to the government of Azerbaijan for the support that they have rendered for the exit of Indian nationals from Iran through the land border. We have consultations and regular exchange between both sides, and hopefully we will have more details," he added.
On Wednesday, India's Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Abhay Kumar, met with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and presented a copy of his Letter of Credence. Both held productive discussions on bilateral ties and regional developments.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, the meeting reviewed the current state of relations between Azerbaijan and India and explored the prospects for further cooperation.
The two sides also exchanged views on the ongoing tensions in the Middle East. The Indian Ambassador also expressed deep gratitude to the government of Azerbaijan for the support provided during the evacuation of Indian nationals from Iran, the Foreign Ministry mentioned.
Last month, the MEA mentioned that at least 882 Indian nationals stranded in Iran, including students, business professionals and pilgrims, have made their way back home through Azerbaijan and Armenia.
“Several individuals do not register themselves with the embassy. Therefore, our estimate was that there were 9,000 people. Of these, a significant number of students had returned before the hostilities began. Currently, approximately 882 Indian citizens, including students and business professionals as well as pilgrims who had travelled from here, are in the process of returning via the routes through Azerbaijan and Armenia. Some have already arrived," said Jaiswal.
“Of the 284 pilgrims who had travelled there, 280 have returned; they arrived via Armenia. There are three or four others remaining, who are also expected to arrive within a day or two,” he added.