India has blocked Azerbaijan’s bid to gain full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), diplomatic sources confirmed on Sunday. New Delhi cited Baku’s close strategic alignment with Pakistan and Turkey, both of whom have repeatedly targeted India on issues like Kashmir, as a key reason behind its opposition.
While Azerbaijan currently enjoys “dialogue partner” status within the grouping, its attempt to graduate to full membership was discussed at a recent SCO meeting, where India raised objections.
Officials said India was unwilling to endorse Azerbaijan’s entry into a bloc where Pakistan is already a member, as it could tilt the organisation further against Indian interests.
Azerbaijan’s support for Pakistan at multilateral forums, along with its involvement in projects linked to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, also contributed to India’s stance. With consensus required, India’s veto effectively stalls Baku’s aspirations for now.
Honestly I feel Iran has been too accommodating to Azerbaijan, however that's a regional dispute about how Baku continues to undermine Iran's sovereignty. I also don't inherently oppose India's decision (not their reason obviously) I'm just musing on whether or not it's most productive yo actually dealing with the problematic nature of Azerbaijan's policies. I could also see the argument for excluding them on the basis of pressuring them to change course if they'd like to get closer with the rising powers.
I guess I'm wondering if this is like India in BRICS. They're obviously the most reactionary core member buy their involvement has led to potentially positive outcomes compared to if they were excluded. However I'm not sure of Azerbaijan holds anywhere near the same significance as India wrt West Asia or the caucuses.
I'm honestly just trying to evaluate whether my distaste for Azeri compredor behavior is blinding me from recognizing a politically disadvantageous move, or if I'm correct in the thought that Baku shouldn't be let in the SCO.
Apologies for the unuly length of my reply, just attempting to engage in some self crit with help from comrades on this forum.
No it's alright, I do agree with you that it's something worth carefully considering and weighing both options.