Azerbaijan considering full withdrawal from Council of Europe, Aliyev says
Published on 13/07/2026 - 10:13 GMT+2 Azerbaijan is considering full withdrawal from the Council of Europe, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said on Monday. In his opening...
Published on 13/07/2026 - 10:13 GMT+2
Azerbaijan is considering full withdrawal from the Council of Europe, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said on Monday.
In his opening address at the fourth Shusha Global Media Forum, Aliyev said, “I say openly that Azerbaijan is considering full withdrawal from the organisation."
"Not just the suspension or freezing of our membership – we are unequivocally considering leaving that structure," he added.
"The secretary general of the Council of Europe contacted me and asked us not to do this and to find a way to improve the situation."
The consideration came following the suspension of the Azerbaijani delegation’s voting rights in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in 2024.
Recalling that he had led Azerbaijan’s delegation to PACE in 2001, Aliyev described the deterioration in relations as "regrettable" and said Baku had no interest in deepening tensions.
“We are ready for normalisation. But they should make the first move.”
This is a developing story and our journalists are working on further updates.
