India blocks Azerbaijan's SCO membership bid, sparking diplomatic row

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
1 Sep 2025 22:22

India blocked Azerbaijan's bid for full SCO membership at the Tianjin summit, prompting President Aliyev to accuse New Delhi of retaliation over Baku's alliance with Pakistan.

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Azerbaijan's attempt to upgrade its status in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) from dialogue partner to full member was blocked by India, Azerbaijani outlet Axar.az reported on Monday.

The decision came during the SCO summit held in Tianjin from August 31 to September 1, the largest in the organization's history. More than 20 foreign leaders and international representatives attended the gathering, which brought together the group's ten members, Russia, India, China, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus, along with observers and dialogue partners, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

On the sidelines of the summit, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev raised the issue in talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accusing New Delhi of politicizing multilateral processes. "India was trying to take revenge on Baku in international organizations for its assistance to Pakistan," Aliyev said, according to state news agency AZERTAC. Stressing that ties between Azerbaijan and Pakistan are built on "brotherhood," Aliyev congratulated Islamabad "on its victory over India."

SCO membership dispute

The dispute reflects wider geopolitical rivalries within the bloc. Analysts note that China supported Azerbaijan's membership bid, while India stood opposed, citing concerns that Baku's close alignment with Pakistan and public backing during military confrontations. Critics in Baku argued that India's veto undermines the SCO's founding principle of avoiding bilateral disputes within multilateral structures, often referred to as the "Shanghai spirit."

For Azerbaijan, which has actively deepened relations with both Pakistan and Turkey, the setback illustrates how South Asian rivalries increasingly spill into multilateral forums. For India, blocking Baku's accession serves as a reminder of its willingness to use institutional levers to counter states it perceives as siding with Islamabad.

Despite the clash, Aliyev downplayed the broader implications, insisting that India's move "has no significance" for Azerbaijan's foreign policy priorities, which continue to prioritize close alignment with Pakistan.