Baku [Azerbaijan], March 31 (ANI): India has expressed its gratitude to Azerbaijan for facilitating the safe transit of Indian citizens evacuated from Iran amid the West Asia conflict, with over 200 nationals having transited through the country so far since the war began.

In a post on X, the Embassy of India in Azerbaijan thanked Azerbaijani authorities for their support in ensuring the smooth and secure movement of Indian nationals.

'We convey our sincere appreciation to the authorities of Azerbaijan for facilitating safe transit of Indian nationals from Iran,' the Embassy said in the post on Monday.

The Embassy also noted that the Indian Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Abhay Kumar, met Indian nationals transiting via the country from Iran and enquired about their well-being.

'Ambassador Abhay Kumar met Indian nationals transiting via Azerbaijan from Iran and enquired about their well-being. Over 200 Indian citizens have been safely evacuated from Iran via Azerbaijan so far,' the Embassy stated in a separate post.

In an official statement, the Embassy said that Ambassador Kumar met Indian citizens who had been evacuated from Iran and had safely arrived in Baku. He interacted with the evacuees, enquired about their well-being, and expressed satisfaction over their safe transit.

The evacuated Indian students shared their experiences and conveyed their gratitude to the Embassy for facilitating their movement out of Iran. According to the statement, more than 215 Indians residing in Iran have been evacuated through Azerbaijan to date.

Ambassador Kumar reaffirmed the Embassy's commitment to extend all possible assistance to Indian nationals transiting through Azerbaijan.

The Embassy further highlighted that the availability of direct flights between Baku and major Indian cities such as New Delhi and Mumbai, operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, has made it convenient for evacuees to return to India.

India continues to coordinate closely with partner countries to ensure the safety and well-being of its citizens abroad.

Earlier in the day, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that particular attention is being given to the welfare of Indian seafarers as the conflict in West Asia entered its second month.

During the interministerial briefing, Aseem Mahajan, Joint Secretary (Gulf) from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), assured that the safety, security and welfare of the Indian community in the region remain the utmost priority and added that the MEA continues to closely monitor the evolving situation in the region and said that the Indian missions continue to provide support and assistance to Indian crew members on vessels across the region. (ANI)