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Head of Euronews: We were subjected to pressure because of our balanced position on Azerbaijan

Pedro Vargas David, Chairman of the Board of Euronews

17 November 2025 19:11 (UTC +04:00)

We were subjected to pressure because of our balanced position on Azerbaijan, said Pedro Vargas David, Chairman of the Board of Euronews, while speaking at the opening ceremony of the channel’s new office in Baku, APA reports.

“It has been more than 10 years since my first visit to Azerbaijan. During these years, I have observed how much the country has changed. I should also note that our balanced position toward Azerbaijan was not accepted. Protests were held at the door of our headquarters. Our journalists faced email attacks. Whenever our news identified the location as ‘Shusha, Azerbaijan,’ we received countless emails. They asked why we described Shusha as a territory within Azerbaijan. We told them that international law recognizes this territory as part of Azerbaijan. Even when an Azerbaijani passenger plane was shot down last December, Reuters promoted an interpretation of the incident that favored Russia. We have never done that,” Pedro Vargas David noted.

The chairman of the Board also drew attention to the security of Azerbaijan’s airspace during the 12-day Israel–Iran war in June:

“If you had checked Flightradar or similar platforms, you would have seen a large concentration of flights coming from both sides — from the east and from the west. For all aircraft traveling from Europe to Asia and beyond, there was only one safe option. That safe option was to use Azerbaijan’s airspace and to transit through it. I was in Baku on those days, and I clearly remember the number of planes that made emergency landings here because they were running out of fuel and had no alternative routes. And this is not only during periods of difficulty or crisis. Azerbaijan is a solution that exists for us every day — for our energy, our supply, and our future. It is a secular country. It is a rapidly developing country. It has industry and important resources. It is full of self-confidence.”