Tensions between India and Pakistan once again spilled over into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Monday, as both countries blocked each other’s allies from advancing toward full membership during the leaders’ summit in Tianjin, China.
India vetoed Azerbaijan’s latest bid to join the SCO as a full member, citing Baku’s close strategic relations with Pakistan and Turkey. Both nations have taken positions against India over its ongoing disputes with Pakistan and the contested Kashmir region. Azerbaijan, which became a dialogue partner in 2015, had submitted a formal membership application in 2024 that was also rejected by India at the time.
Despite support from China for Azerbaijan’s accession, New Delhi has expressed caution about the bloc becoming increasingly influenced by Beijing’s allies and partners. The issue was reportedly raised during bilateral discussions between Indian and Chinese leaders at the summit.
In retaliation, Pakistan moved to block Armenia’s entry into the SCO, effectively halting Yerevan’s hopes of advancing beyond its current status as a dialogue partner, which it has held since 2015. Armenia maintains close ties with India and has become one of the largest recipients of Indian arms exports in recent years.
The diplomatic tensions unfolded just as Armenia and Pakistan agreed to establish formal diplomatic relations on Sunday after decades of estrangement. Pakistan had long refused to recognize Armenia’s sovereignty following the collapse of the Soviet Union, largely due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and its alliance with Azerbaijan. The new rapprochement was seen as a historic step but did not prevent Pakistan from blocking Armenia’s accession bid, with its tensions with India winning out over its reproachment with Yeravan.
Despite Armenia’s pro-Western stance under Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, he attended the Tianjin summit and held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, signaling Yerevan’s willingness to expand ties with the non-Western bloc even as its membership prospects remain stalled.