Azerbaijan Accuses India of Blocking SCO Bid Over Pakistan Ties

Tensions are simmering between India and Azerbaijan after Baku accused New Delhi of blocking its bid for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). According to reports in Turkish daily Daily Sabah and Azerbaijani media outlets, the move is being interpreted by Azerbaijan as India taking “revenge” over Baku’s growing closeness with Pakistan.

Citing unnamed sources, Azerbaijani broadcaster AnewZ reported that India opposed Azerbaijan’s application for membership at the recent SCO summit held in Tianjin, China. In contrast, China is said to have backed Baku’s bid. The outlet claimed India’s decision contradicts the SCO’s founding principles — often referred to as the “Shanghai Spirit” — which emphasize mutual respect and non-interference in domestic affairs.

Baku has accused India of violating the ethos of multilateral diplomacy by letting bilateral differences influence a regional platform like the SCO. Azerbaijani media have linked India's stance to Baku's vocal support for Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, a large-scale Indian military operation in May targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

India has not yet officially responded to these accusations.

On the sidelines of the summit, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev reportedly met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and accused India of acting out of “revenge” in multilateral forums.

According to Daily Sabah, Aliyev congratulated Pakistan on what he described as a “victory over India” and reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s commitment to its close ties with Islamabad. He reportedly told Sharif that, despite India's actions on the international stage, Baku continues to prioritise “brotherhood” in its relationship with Pakistan.

Sharif, in turn, thanked Aliyev on behalf of Pakistan’s government and people for Baku’s show of solidarity during the military operation.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in retaliation for a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which killed 26 people — most of them tourists. The operation targeted hideouts of banned terror groups Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. India framed the operation as a targeted anti-terror action, but it drew sharp criticism from Pakistan and expressions of support from its allies, including Azerbaijan.

Pakistan-Russia Relations Also in Focus

Meanwhile, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also met Russian President Vladimir Putin during the SCO summit in Tianjin. In his remarks, Sharif said Pakistan respects Russia’s longstanding relationship with India but hopes to deepen its own strategic ties with Moscow.

“Our relations have only improved over the past many years,” Sharif said. “We respect your relations with India, but we also want to build strong relations with Russia — not as a replacement, but as a complement to regional peace and progress.”

Both leaders are in China to attend the SCO summit and a major military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

As diplomatic tensions rise, the fallout from India’s reported veto of Azerbaijan’s SCO membership bid could further strain regional dynamics — especially in light of the growing strategic partnerships between Azerbaijan, Pakistan, and Turkey. Whether India will respond officially or attempt to defuse the situation through diplomatic backchannels remains to be seen.