Russia and India Exclude Azerbaijan from Eurasian Security Consortium

In a surprising turn of events, both India and Pakistan blocked the membership bids of Azerbaijan and Armenia at the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in September.

The recent establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Armenia did not prevent Pakistan from blocking Armenia's bid for membership at the SCO summit. Similarly, India vetoed Azerbaijan's membership without any prior public indication of such a decision. The reasons for these decisions remain unclear.

Reports suggest that the relations between Azerbaijan and Russia have worsened recently, with the killing of two Azerbaijanis by Russian police and a plane crash in Azerbaijan, blamed on Russian air defense, contributing to the deterioration. Russia may have blocked Azerbaijan's attempt to join the SCO, a claim supported by Azerbaijani media.

The vetoing of Azerbaijan's membership and the blocking of Armenia's bid at the SCO summit may have implications for the future of relations between these countries and the organization. The blocking of Azerbaijan's bid to join the SCO by Russia could be interpreted as a sign of disrespect toward China in diplomatic circles and beyond.

Interestingly, China has reportedly supported Azerbaijan's bid to join the SCO. Meanwhile, it has been reported that India has blocked Iran's membership at the SCO.

The simultaneous vetoing of Azerbaijan's membership and the blocking of Armenia's bid at the SCO summit has raised eyebrows in diplomatic circles. The claims about these decisions were made by diplomatic sources.

These developments come at a time when the SCO is expanding its influence in the region and global politics. The future of the organisation and its relations with these countries will be closely watched in the coming months.