Aliyev to join 8th European Political Community summit via video link

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will join the 8th European Political Community summit taking place in Yerevan today via video link, Azerbaijani media report.

With NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, plus the presidents of all major EU institutions expected, the Armenian capital will be hosting more political VIPs than the small South Caucasus republic has ever seen before, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty writes.

As noted, major announcements are rare at EPC summits, but British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is now expected to inform that London wants to ⁠work with the EU to ‌support Ukraine in getting funding for vital military equipment.

The British government on May 3 said the country ‌is set to enter talks to cooperate with the EU in its $106 billion loan to Kyiv, as London looks to deepen ties to the bloc.

Otherwise, much of the focus of the summit will fall on host Armenia, giving Pashinyan a run in the spotlight just a month ahead of parliamentary elections.

The EPC gathering and the subsequent EU-Armenia summit will likely allow Pashinyan a chance to further burnish his credentials as an international statesman.

As one senior EU official gushed ahead of the meeting: “It’s the first time the EPC meets in the south Caucasus. And the fact that Europe is coming together in Armenia is a powerful illustration of the country’s geopolitical path.”

Brussels is still far from offering a path to EU membership for Armenia, but the decision to travel to the country for the summit is at least a symbolic gesture. Yet everything is not rosy.

EU officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told RFE/RL that this was at the insistence of the host nation and is likely an attempt by Yerevan to guarantee the events are as tightly choreographed as possible.

As noted, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the Armenian capital late on May 3 for the EPC summit. His appearance is not likely to go over well in Moscow. Armenia was long an ally to Russia as Yerevan considered it as a protector against hostile neighbors, and Russia still has a military base in the country.