Azerbaijan has claimed that India blocked Baku’s bid for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). It also alleged that India is seeking “revenge” against Azerbaijan on global forums due to its close ties with Pakistan, Turkish Daily Sabah reported.
The Azerbaijani media has also accused India of violating the principles of “multilateral diplomacy” by blocking Azerbaijan’s ambition and claimed New Delhi’s decision was linked to Baku’s support for Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.
According to Azerbaijani broadcaster AnewZ, India has “once again” opposed Azerbaijan’s application at the SCO summit in Tianjin, while China expressed support for Baku’s membership. The news publication claimed that India’s decision violated the principles of multilateral diplomacy and the “Shanghai Spirit”. It further argues that bilateral disputes should not be transferred to multilateral forums.
India didn’t immediately respond to the reports.
According to Daily Sabah, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev accused India on Monday of seeking “revenge” against Baku during a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State Summit in China’s Tianjin.
Shehbaz Sharif reportedly thanked Ilham Aliyev on behalf of the Pakistani people and government for what he called Azerbaijan’s solidarity with Pakistan during India’s Operation Sindoor in May.
The report added that Aliyev congratulated Pakistan on what he described as its victory over India and added that despite New Delhi’s actions in international forums, Azerbaijan prioritises “brotherhood” in its ties with Islamabad.
Operation Sindoor
On May 7, the Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor, a large-scale military action targeting hideouts of banned Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba terror outfits in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. This was a direct response to a brutal attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists.
Pakistan respects Russia’s relations with India: Sharif to Putin
Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that his country respects Russia’s relations with India, as he called for strengthening Islamabad’s ties with Moscow during his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing.
The two leaders are in China to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin and attend a grand parade of the Chinese army on Wednesday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
“Our relations have only improved over the past many years. Thanks to your commitment and interest in many areas. I also intend to decisively strengthen our bilateral ties,” Sharif told President Putin.
The prime minister also expressed gratitude to the Russian president for supporting Pakistan, which was viewed as “a balancing act in the region”.
“I must say that we respect your relations with India. That is perfectly fine. But we also want to build very strong relations (with Russia). And these relations will be supplementary and complementary for the good and for the progress and prosperity of the region,” Sharif said.
