India Rebuts Azerbaijan's Allegations On Blocking SCO Membership: 'A Decision...'

Last Updated:September 05, 2025, 17:38 IST

India rebuffed Azerbaijan's accusations of India blocking the country's bid to join the SCO with the help of Russia during the recent summit in Tianjin.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (C) and participants of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 pose for photos. (AFP)

India refuted allegations by Azerbaijan on blocking its membership at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) during the recent summit in Tianjin, China, clarifying that a decision could not be taken up by member-states due to time constraints.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said both Armenia and Azerbaijan had applied for SCO membership. “Due to time constraint, a decision on the issue could not be taken by Member States in Tianjin. The matter continues to be under consideration by the group," said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

This came after Azerbaijan accused India of blocking the country’s bid to join the SCO with the help of Russia. After the SCO summit concluded, Azerbaijan said it was blocked by India from joining, while Pakistan blocked Armenia’s bid to join the SCO, despite both countries finally establishing diplomatic relations.

Notably, India shares warm ties with Armenia, having supplied military equipment to Armenia amid regional tensions. Russia has always been a key backer of Armenia, but it did not intervene in the latest conflict due to the Ukraine war, straining ties between Yerevan and Moscow.

On the other hand, Azerbaijan has developed strong ties with Pakistan, and the country also supported Islamabad in the recent conflict with India. This has caused Indian tourists to skip travelling to Azerbaijan after it supplied weapons to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.

The long-standing conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia reached a historic conclusion in early August as the leaders of both nations signed a landmark peace agreement at the White House. The event was hosted by US President Donald Trump, who joined the leaders as they shook hands following the signing of the deal.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a series of agreements formalising peace between their nations and establishing new cooperative ties with the United States. As part of the deal, the two countries have pledged to reopen key transportation and trade routes, including those that had been closed since the early 1990s due to territorial disputes and war.

The peace agreement comes just days before Trump’s upcoming August 15 summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where the leaders will discuss a possible ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Russia cautiously welcomed the peace deal between the two former Soviet republics.

(with inputs from agencies)

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...Read More

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...

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