Armenia hosts European Political Community summit

On Monday, Armenia hosted the 8th European Political Community (EPC) Summit. It is being attended by nearly 50 world leaders and a number of international organisations. Armenia is the first Caucasian country to host the summit since its inception in 2022 and marks the largest international conference held in Armenia.

The summit was co-chaired by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and European Council President António Costa, under the theme ‘unity and stability in Europe’.

According to the agenda, discussions would focus on ‘strengthening democratic resilience, advancing connectivity, and reinforcing economic and energy security, while addressing evolving security dynamics and regional challenges’.

The attendants included Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Starmer’s visit marks the first time a sitting UK Prime Minister has visited Armenia, along with several other countries whose leaders paid their first official visits to Armenia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi also attended — his first visit to Armenia and the first time a Ukrainian President has visited Armenia since 2002.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sat out the summit, citing ‘other commitments’.

Turkey is represented by Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, while Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev attended online.

Despite several lower level visits taking place between Armenian and Azerbaijani officials, Pashinyan and Aliyev have yet to meet in each other’s respective countries.

The Kremlin has yet to comment on Zelenskyi’s visit to Armenia, as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues and its relations with Armenia remain tense. However, Russian propagandists such as Margarita Simonyan rushed to condemn the visit.

‘It is time for us to think about the protection of the Russian population and our interests in this country. If not Vladimir [Putin], then his successors will definitely need measures’, said Simonyan.

Simonyan, who is an ethnic Armenian, has been declared a persona non grata by Yerevan. She also called Zelenskyi’s visit an ‘ungrateful step’ by the Armenian side.

In the press briefing ahead of the summit, Zelenskyi was asked about unconfirmed reports that Ukraine had sold white phosphorus to Azerbaijan.

There is evidence white phosphorus was used against Armenian forces in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020.

Zelenskyi did not respond to the question. The Ukrainian government has denied that any chemical weapons had been transferred or sold to Baku, but there is evidence of significant Ukrainian armament sales to Azerbaijan since 1993.

Pashinyan, in his opening remarks, touched upon the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, noted that the summit marked Aliyev’s first participation in an event taking place in Armenia, ‘albeit online’.

‘But hopefully I will have the opportunity to visit Azerbaijan in 2028 for the EPC 10th Summit’, Pashinyan said, adding that the two countries ‘reciprocally supported’ each other’s candidacy to host EPC summits.

Before the summit, Pashinyan, among others, received OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioğlu. Together with Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova, the three signed a Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership.

Pashinyan and his Belgian counterpart, Bart De Wever, also attended the opening ceremony of the Belgian Embassy in Yerevan.

Separately, French President Emmanuel Macron shared a video of his walk around Yerevan with Pashinyan, expressing gratitude for the ‘warm welcome’ and announcing that they ‘will forge a strategic partnership between our countries’.

In addition, Pashinyan and Starmer signed a joint declaration on a Strategic Partnership between Armenia and the UK. Pashinyan and his Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenković also signed a strategic dialogue document on Monday.

The inaugural EU–Armenia Summit will take place on 4-5 May, in Yerevan. The summit will be attended by EU Council President Costa, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas.

‘This marks a significant step forward in their relations, reaffirming the European Union’s strong commitment to Armenia’s sovereignty, resilience and reform agenda’, the EU statement read.

At a press briefing ahead of EPC, Kallas noted that Armenia ‘makes its own’ decisions when asked about the country’s potential EU membership bid.

‘Of course, the European perspective is on the table, and Armenia will decide for itself’, Kallas said.

In parallel to the opening sentiment of the EPC, a group of people, including Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, held a protest demanding the release of 19 Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan and the preservation of Armenian heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.

As of midday on Monday, anti-government protests continue.

Satellite imagery suggests Stepanakert’s main church destroyed by Azerbaijan

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed his reluctance to make the destruction ‘a subject of international discussions’.

OC MediaArshaluys Barseghyan