It was Turkey, China and Azerbaijan that helped Pakistan attack India during Operation Sindoor. New Delhi has openly called out these countries for supporting terror mastermind Pakistan while clearly highlighting that there shouldn’t be any double standards when it comes to terrorism. Despite that, these countries continue to support Islamabad. Despite India’s objections, these countries have continued extending support to Islamabad.
Now, Azerbaijan has turned the spotlight on India, accusing New Delhi of blocking its ambitions. According to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, India allegedly opposed Baku’s bid to secure full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Reports suggest that while China supported Azerbaijan’s application, it failed due to India’s resistance.
India Taking Revenge: Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has alleged that India is taking “revenge” against Baku at international forums because of Azerbaijan’s alignment with Pakistan. He made these remarks on Monday during a meeting with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Tianjin, China, on the sidelines of the SCO summit.
PM Sharif, in his discussions with Aliyev, reaffirmed the significance of the trilateral partnership between Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Pakistan, also recalling his past visits to Baku.
India-Armenia Ties
India’s opposition to Azerbaijan’s SCO membership is not the only move straining ties. New Delhi has also been ramping up defence cooperation with Armenia — Baku’s long-time rival. Analysts view India’s growing arms sales to Yerevan as a deliberate strategic push to counter the Türkiye-Azerbaijan-Pakistan axis. Military and defence ties between India and Armenia have strengthened steadily since 2020, underscoring New Delhi’s readiness to deepen its presence in the South Caucasus.
Baku-Yerevan Conflict
At the heart of the Azerbaijan-Armenia rivalry lies the decades-old dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh. The region has witnessed repeated clashes, most recently the 2020 war that ended with Azerbaijan regaining significant territory.
Tensions remain high, with occasional skirmishes along the border despite ceasefire agreements. India’s military support to Armenia, coupled with its diplomatic stance against Azerbaijan, reflects how the conflict is increasingly intersecting with broader geopolitical rivalries involving Pakistan, Türkiye, and China.