India Blocks Azerbaijan's SCO Bid: Baku's Media Reports

Azerbaijan media reported that India has blocked full membership of Azerbaijan to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) for its ties with Pakistan. AnewZ, a leading news agency of Azerbaijan, reported that India has once again blocked the country’s application for full membership in the SCO.

The media reported that Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.

It further mentioned that China has reaffirmed its support for Azerbaijan’s application to become a full member of the SCO. By contrast, officials familiar with the matter told AnewZ that India’s decision to obstruct the process runs counter to the principles of multilateral diplomacy and the ‘Shanghai Spirit’, which stipulate that bilateral disputes should not be transferred to multilateral platforms, it said.

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According to these accounts, India’s position is closely linked to Azerbaijan’s fraternal relations with Pakistan.

As per the report, one insider commented to AnewZ that this step, “does not alter Azerbaijan’s course”, but rather demonstrated to the international community “the limited and short-sighted nature of India’s policy”.