Category: News

In his address at the European Political Community Summit in Yerevan, President of the European Council António Costa thanked Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for the courageous political decisions he has made, which have brought Armenia closer to the European Union.

“Today’s European Political Community Summit is truly historic. It is historic because, for the first time, the EPC meets here in the South Caucasus, and because it places Armenia in the heart of Europe, which is exactly where it belongs, in light of its long and rich history. It is historic because today’s summit has been made possible by the agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan—that agreement is a story of peace in Europe that must be celebrated in a world where escalation and war seem to dominate,” he said.

Costa said the Yerevan summit is historic also because, for the very first time, a non-European guest, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, has been invited to participate in a summit of the European Political Community.

“But the EPC is about more than just building a common European principle vision for peace and prosperity. It is also about turning that vision into reality—on energy, on connectivity, on democratic resilience—the themes of this year’s roundtables. And I’m glad that, again, like in the previous summits, the EPC will be a catalyst for action—action in support of Ukraine, Moldova, and Armenia, and also in building a European coalition against drugs,” he said.

“I would like to end where I started, by thanking Prime Minister Pashinyan for hosting us today, but also—in fact, mainly—for the courageous political decisions he has taken to bring Armenia closer to the European Union. The direction of travel is unmistakable, and an important milestone on that path is tomorrow’s first-ever European Union-Armenia summit, right here in Yerevan. And that is worth celebrating. But today is about the European Political Community, and I wish you all a successful meeting,” the President of the European Council said.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said the EU wants to support Armenia in showing that peace brings prosperity.

The President of the European Commission posted a video on X of her remarks at the European Political Community Summit in Armenia.

“We want to support Armenia in showing that peace brings prosperity. And that connectivity can play a key role in the South Caucasus. The same that steel and coal played in cementing peace and prosperity at the birth of the European Union,” she said.

EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas will visit Azerbaijan after concluding her trip to Armenia, according to her office.

The European Union External Action Service said in a press release that the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the European Commission will travel to Azerbaijan on May 5, after the EU–Armenia Summit. She is currently in Armenia for the EPC Summit, taking place on May 4.

In Azerbaijan, Kallas will hold a series of bilateral meetings at the political level, including with President Ilham Aliyev, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, addressing the European Political Community Summit in Yerevan online, congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on hosting the major event.

In his remarks, Aliyev recalled that Armenia and Azerbaijan reciprocally supported each other’s candidacy to host EPC summits, with Baku set to host in 2028.

The Azerbaijani leader described this as a clear indicator that peace between the two countries has become a reality.

“We have been living in peace for only nine months, and we are learning to live in peace,” the President of Azerbaijan emphasized, expressing confidence that following the initialing of the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace agreement in Washington last August, peace has already become a reality for both Azerbaijanis and Armenians.

Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan subsequently lifted all transit restrictions imposed since the 1990s, as a result of which 28,000 tons of cargo have already been delivered to Armenia through its territory.

“Azerbaijan went even further: we began supplying our petroleum products—gasoline and diesel fuel—to Armenia for the first time, thus starting trade relations,” Aliyev said, expressing confidence that the two countries are already seeing the practical benefits of peace.

To date, 12,000 tons of petroleum products have already been supplied to Armenia from Azerbaijan, he said.

Aliyev hailed the TRIPP project as an achievement of the peace agenda, noting that the route will connect mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave and become part of the Middle Corridor.

Further in his speech, the Azerbaijani President criticized EU institutions, namely the European Parliament, for mentioning existing problems in Azerbaijan, as well as wording pertaining to Nagorno-Karabakh in adopted resolutions. Aliyev rejected them as “lies and defamation.”

At the same time, he expressed gratitude to the European Commission for its position on the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace process, assuring that Azerbaijan is committed to this agenda.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenković have signed an agreement on strategic dialogue between the two countries.

Plenković is in Armenia for the EPC Summit.

The Armenian Prime Minister described the agreement as a “landmark development” in advancing ties with Croatia.

“With Andrej Plenković, we signed Armenia–Croatia Strategic Dialogue, marking landmark development in advancing our bilateral ties. We stand ready to further elevate Armenia-Croatia cooperation to new level & expand engagement across key areas, including within Armenia-EU partnership,” Pashinyan said on X.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney joined other leaders today in Yerevan during the EPC Summit, including President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, for a meeting convened by French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss ongoing support for Ukraine.

According to a readout issued by Carney’s office, the leaders discussed “the latest developments in Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s aggression, including the battlefield situation and President Zelenskyy’s ongoing efforts to secure a just and lasting peace.”

They agreed that the security, sovereignty, and prosperity of Ukraine is integral for wider transatlantic security.

The leaders committed to working together to provide ongoing multifaceted support for Ukraine, as well as robust security guarantees, economic recovery measures, and defence production.

“Prime Minister Carney reaffirmed Canada’s steadfast support for Ukraine and its willingness to contribute to the success of the peace process. The leaders underscored that Ukraine and its people deserve a prosperous, independent, and sovereign future, free from fear of future Russian aggression.”

Carney then met with the President of the European Council, António Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on the margins of the European Political Community Summit. 

Prime Minister Carney thanked President Costa for the invitation to attend the Summit. He noted that Canada’s participation at the Summit as the first non-European country is a reflection of the strong and growing relationship between Canada and Europe.

The leaders discussed deepening collaboration in priority areas such as secure supply chains, critical minerals, energy, and digital technologies. Prime Minister Carney emphasised Canada’s competitive advantages in these sectors.

European nations have “gotten the message” from U.S. President Donald Trump and are now ensuring that ‌agreements on the use of military bases are being implemented, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Monday.

Trump has criticized certain NATO allies for failing to provide sufficient support to the United States in its war with Iran. Adding to tensions with European partners, the U.S. also announced on Friday that it would pull 5,000 troops out of Germany.

“Yes, there has been some disappointment from the U.S. side, but Europeans have listened,” Secretary General Rutte told reporters ahead of the 8th European Political Community summit in Armenia.

“They are now making sure that all the bilateral basing agreements are being implemented,” he said.

NATO member Spain has said ‌that ⁠military bases on its territory cannot be used for the war with Iran. But Rutte said other NATO countries such as Montenegro, Croatia, Romania, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Britain, France and Germany were implementing requests ⁠for the use of bases and other logistical support.

Rutte also said “more and more” European nations were pre-positioning assets such as minehunters and minesweepers ⁠close to the Gulf to be ready for a “next phase”.

Multiple European nations have said they are willing to take part ⁠in a mission to help ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz once the war is over, according to Reuters.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on Monday rejected Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s accusations of sabotaging the peace deal with Armenia and adopting “anti-Azerbaijani” resolutions.

Aliyev, addressing the European Political Community Summit in Yerevan via video link, first thanked the European Commission for its stance on the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process, but added that the European Parliament has instead been sabotaging the process. He said that between May 2021 and April 30, 2026, the European Parliament adopted 14 resolutions that contain what he described as highly offensive and false statements about Azerbaijan.

Aliyev was referring to a recent resolution adopted by the European Parliament expressing support for Armenia’s democratic resilience. The resolution also addressed the rights of Armenians displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, in particular the need to preserve Armenian cultural heritage in the region, as well as the safe return of Armenians to their homes.

Aliyev stated that “the European Parliament has targeted Azerbaijan with this resolution by spreading defamation and falsehoods.”

Metsola, who was in attendance at the summit, took the floor to respond:

“The European Parliament is a democratic body directly elected by representatives, and its resolutions are adopted by majority vote. The results may create discomfort for many, but we will never change the path we are following, and we will defend the positions we adopt,” Metsola said.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer exchanged a joint declaration on the strategic partnership between the Republic of Armenia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

“With today’s Joint Declaration with Keir Starmer on a Strategic Partnership between Armenia & the United Kingdom, we open a new & promising chapter in Armenia-UK relations built on shared values & strengthened cooperation,” Pashinyan said in a statement on X.

The British prime minister is on a visit to Armenia for the EPC Summit.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the margins of the European Political Community Summit in Yerevan on Monday.

According to a readout from Pashinyan’s office, the sides discussed regional security, the course of Armenia-NATO cooperation, and prospects for further development.

Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized the importance of the continued deepening of the partnership, highlighting steps taken in the areas of democratic reforms and the development of capabilities in the defense sector.

PM Pashinyan and Secretary General Rutte also discussed efforts aimed at international and regional stability, as well as other issues of mutual interest.

Both sides reaffirmed their readiness to continue constructive dialogue and cooperation based on shared values and mutual trust.