10:25 - 13.07.2026

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July 13, Fineko/abc.az. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev addressed the historical tensions and the current trajectory of Baku's relations with European institutions during the opening ceremony of the 4th Shusha Global Media Forum.

Reflecting on the head of state's address, it is reported that a vast distinction exists between Azerbaijan's relations with the European Commission and PACE. The President pointed out that under Josep Borrell's tenure as the EU's top diplomat, bilateral ties nearly collapsed due to an anti-Azerbaijani faction within the Commission: "We hope that Mr. Borrell has left politics for good. Since then, our relations have begun to improve." Furthermore, Ilham Aliyev underscored that biased figures, such as former ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo, had been financially backed by Armenian oligarchs to voice anti-Azerbaijan positions.