Armenia was represented at the summit by a delegation led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. Azerbaijan, whose leader Ilham Aliyev also attended the gathering, did not sign the declaration either.

Armenian officials have not explained why Yerevan did not join the declaration, which reaffirms support for Ukraine “in the face of unprovoked full-scale Russian aggression.”

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Aykhan Hajizada said Baku refrained from signing three documents adopted at the Dublin summit, including the security declaration, because they entailed “additional legal and political obligations,” according to Interfax news agency.

Initiated by France, the declaration reaffirms existing principles underpinning European security and sets out common objectives for addressing emerging threats, including Russian hybrid campaigns, cyberattacks and foreign interference.

It also calls for stronger European defense capabilities and closer cooperation among the signatories.

In particular, the signatory states reaffirmed their support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, as well as underlined the necessity to provide Kyiv with “robust and credible security guarantees” in order to “prevent the recurrence of aggression in Europe in the future.”

The signatories also emphasized that “Ukraine’s security is an integral part of Euro-Atlantic security and that future developments in European strategic stability will be conditional upon the conclusion of the war in Ukraine.”

European Political Community summits have been held twice a year since 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The previous gathering in this format was held in Yerevan in May. That summit was also attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Russia criticized Armenia, its formal ally, for “providing a platform for anti-Russian statements” after Zelenskyy, while in Yerevan, issued implicit threats to Moscow ahead of a Red Square Victory Day parade.

Relations between Moscow and Yerevan have steadily deteriorated since then.

A smaller group of European nations, known as the Core Group of Support to Armenia, issued a joint statement on Thursday expressing support for the South Caucasus country’s sovereignty, condemning Russian trade restrictions and pledging to continue helping Yerevan diversify its economy.